Climate change: Kenyan calls on Switzerland to take action

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The climate crisis is increasingly causing crop failures and associated famines worldwide. The ecumenical campaign of the development organizations Fastenaktion and Heks draws attention to this and calls for more climate justice. The coordinator of Fastenaktion in Kenya, Stellamaris Mulaeh (43), is visiting Switzerland to talk about the situation in her home country. We met her.

Sunday View: Ms Mulaeh, to what extent are you feeling the effects of climate change in your country?

Stellamaris Mulah: Climate change has a major impact, especially in the field of agriculture. We are seeing more and more devastating droughts. Farmers lose their crops and livestock: 4.1 million people in Kenya have no guarantee of food. Many women have to walk for miles to find drinking water for their families. It’s a bad situation. I call on Switzerland and other Western countries to take action.

What should you do?

We depend on these countries delivering on the promises they made at the recent global climate conference. They must actually make the compensation payments to the countries most affected by climate change. The governments of these countries can really make a difference. Of course, the pressure to trade is less noticeable in Switzerland than here in Kenya – no one goes hungry here. But climate change can also be felt in Switzerland: the glaciers are melting away at lightning speed. We need to bring the temperatures down and we have no time to lose. Everyone – governments, individuals and farmers – must take responsibility.

In Switzerland, the parliament has just decided not to impose any further requirements on agriculture in the field of climate protection.

I don’t know the exact background. But one thing is clear: it can’t go on like this. Agriculture that cares for the environment is needed – and not today. Conventional agriculture can work in the short term, but it is not sustainable. Otherwise things wouldn’t get so out of hand.

What is the solution?

Agroecology! We should be talking about soil health, biodiversity and reforestation. The era of monocultures must be over. Plant species that are resistant to climate change are also needed. And finally, livestock farming must be in balance with the environment.

Source:Blick