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{
    "id": 1232958,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1232958/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 140,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Soipan Tuya",
    "speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 926,
        "legal_name": "Roselinda Soipan Tuya",
        "slug": "roselinda-soipan-tuya"
    },
    "content": "Weather conditions that could result in health risks depend on the sensitivity, acclimatisation and adaptability of the population to extreme heat. Temperature is the main component of heat but, this also depends on various weather variables. I will now go to the exact question on whether Kenya has ever experienced heat waves in recent years. Research into heat waves across the world has confirmed that the increasing trends in frequency, duration and cumulative heat have accelerated since the 1950s due to climate change. The biggest increases have been seen in the Middle East, South America and Africa. They project the deadliest disasters that are getting stronger and more frequent every other day. In the recent past, heat wave events were recorded around the world with examples of 3,000 people dying in the United Kingdom, 300 displaced in Italy and 600 people dying in Spain. Hon. Speaker, chronic exposure to extreme heat in the form of seasonal and year-round extreme heat, especially in tropical regions, has far-reaching impacts on health, productivity and economic outcomes. Generally, public perceptions and awareness of heat in Kenya are very low. Therefore, there is need to raise awareness of heat risks, especially in this country where we have a substantive number of low-income populations. For instance, due to lack of awareness, people might underestimate the seriousness of heat-related instances and illnesses and may not go to hospital when they are required to go. Based on analysis of data from 1975, 2022 was the third warmest year on record tying with 2021. It was followed closely behind by 2019 and 2020 as the first and second warmest respectively. Intrigued by undocumented heat wave cases and concerns of their impacts, our Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) recently conducted research to identify high-risk regions, define heat thresholds and initiate a protocol to operationalise heat wave early warning in Kenya for early action and for purposes of informing adaptation strategies. This analysis showed that recently identified extreme heat events occurred in Kenya in March 2016, April to May 2019, March 2020 and February 2021. The extreme episode of March 2016 lasted for at least seven days with impacts, including increases in admission in hospitals in the cities of Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa. Another study carried out in 2022 identified extreme heat events in 1991, 2005 and 2012 in Nairobi, Tana River and Turkana counties, respectively. Most heat events recorded in the selected counties were observed to begin around the month of February to March. The study concluded that owing to the established direct relation between extreme heat events and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease prevalence, the observed events ranging from normal to very extreme have had a great negative impact on human respiratory health. Hon. Speaker, I now wish to inform the House on the link between climate change, heat waves and drought also known as climate change - heat waves drought nexus. The impacts of recurrent droughts in Arid and Semi-Arid (ASAL) regions of Kenya continue to worsen with significant impact on lives, health, losses in livestock and livelihoods. It is highly likely that droughts coupled with heat in these regions are increasing trends in temperatures observed in recent times. These issues which are highlighted compound dry events, heat waves and droughts. They change dramatically under global warming but have never been systematically The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}