Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 573797,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/573797/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 411,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "known them before. At times, it rains in such a heavy manner that we begin experiencing floods in areas that never had floods before. Further, traditionally, when the climate was stable and predictable, agricultural practices followed certain traditional calendars that prompted farmers to plant their seeds at a certain time uniformly in particular areas. These days, as years come and go by, it is extremely difficult to predict the climate on the basis of previous experiences. It, therefore, requires a much more scientific knowledge to determine and inform our people about the patterns of climate from time to time, especially in a country which is so heavily agricultural. The backbone of our economy for a long time has remained agricultural. We hope that we shall be a medium income country by 2030, although we have formally been declared so. For a long time, agriculture is going to continue accounting for a substantial part of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Madam Temporary Speaker, at the same time, we also know that at the moment, 70 per cent of our fuel provision especially in the rural areas is based on wood fuel; cutting down of trees to provide wood for fire or to use wood to make charcoal which is a traditional form of energy in the rural areas. This cannot continue for long because this in itself is hazardous to the climate and the environment. We, therefore, need laws like this which will enable the Government to have more power, especially in county governments since the function of the environment is devolved; to understand, make use of and control the effects of climate change. The other issue that we need to understand is the global aspect of climate change. A lot has been said of global warming; but there is not much understanding by ordinary people what it means. Least of all, is that there should be good understanding among policymakers on what global warming is and how public policies should take into account the phenomenon of global warming. Madam Temporary Speaker, we therefore need as a Government and the society as a whole, policy measures to incorporate the effects of global warming in our public policies. Further, I notice that we have just passed the Second Reading of the Bill on mining and not too long ago in this House; we passed a Bill initiated by Sen. (Dr.) Zani on how to use royalties from mining. We underpinned the fact that the royalties should be shared from the village to the national level. We have just dealt with the Mining Bill, which is very important. However, the relationship between mining, environment and climate change is very important. Madam Temporary Speaker, I have noticed in my county, for example, that there is a lot of mining going on, although we do not understand it as mining. A lot of people are digging the ground and scooping the soil to make bricks, leaving huge holes and sometimes even canyons in the countryside, without any compulsion whatsoever to replenish the environment from which they have taken the earth to make bricks. There is even further interference with rocks and stones where gravel, kokoto and other such materials are made. Taking from nature and not replenishing is an extremely hazardous enterprise that human beings are involved in. Such harassment of nature does affect the climate."
}