Socio - economic and environmental analysis of wind power projects as viable renewable energy resources in Kenya

The demand for power in Kenya is on the increase with the ongoing growth of the country’s economy. There is a need for the country to balance energy efficiency, sustainability and low-carbon technologies. This entails drafting and implementing policies and strategies towards a low-carbon development path, ranging from fuels, technologies and infrastructure. This work examines the drivers of renewable energy resources in Kenya, focusing on Ngong Wind Farm. Results show that most low-carbon innovations in Kenya are driven by government tariffs and policies. Funding, and political and community goodwill remarkably influence the success of wind power projects in Kenya. The case study is a novel experiment that offers sustainable alternatives in the energy sector. There is need for more investment in the renewable sector, especially in the set up of power plants and power storage. To address the shortcomings in the renewable energy sector, there is a need for further research and development, and collaborations to foster innovations in the wind power sector in country. A combination of knowledge and resources, and leveraging local and national policies are potential ways in which institutional platforms can foster wind technology advancement and dissemination

A review of the effects of climate change on occurrence of aflatoxin and its impacts on food security in semi - arid areas of Kenya

There are adverse impacts by the changing climate on the agricultural sector; Kenya’s back borne may exacerbate the challenges of ensuring food safety and security, and reducing poverty in Africa as a whole. Understanding how climate change scenarios will affect agriculture is essential in ensuring future food security. In this paper whose objective was to review the potential impact of climate change on important mycotoxins that contaminate maize in Kenya, it focused on climatic factors: temperature and relative humidity, which affect fungal infection of crops and mycotoxin production by these fungi. Aflatoxins are potent mycotoxins that cause immune weakening, cancer and even death. Aflatoxin contamination causes significant loss for farmers, businessmen, marketers and consumers of varied susceptible crops. Climate change alters the complex communities of aflatoxin-producing fungi. This includes changes in space, time and in the quantity of aflatoxin-producers. Generally, if the temperature increases in cool or temperate climates, the respective countries may become more susceptible to aflatoxins. However, tropical countries may become too inhospitable for conventional fungal growth and mycotoxin production. Although some regions can afford to control the environment of storage facilities to minimize post-harvest problems, this happens at high additional cost

Kenyan tea is made with heat and water: how will climate change influence its yield?

Tea is the most consumed beverage in the world apart from water. Climate change is anticipated to affect the tea industry, but quantified large-scale predictions of how temperature and water availability drive tea production is lacking in many regions. Here, we use satellite-derived observations to characterize the response of tea yield to water and heat stress from 2008 to 2016 across Kenya, the third largest producer of tea. We find that solar-induced fluorescence captures the interannual variability in tea yield remarkably well (Pearson’s correlation coefficient, r=0.93), and that these variations are largely driven by the daily dynamics of soil moisture and temperature. Considering rising temperature in isolation suggests that yields in 2040–2070 would decrease by 10% relative to 1990–2020 (ranging between −15% to −4% across 23 models), but most climate models also simulate an increase in soil moisture over this interval that would offset loss, such that yields decrease by only 5% (ranging between −12% to +1%). Our results suggest that adaptation strategies to better conserve soil moisture would help avert damage, but such changes require advanced planning due to the longevity of a tea plant, underscoring the importance of better predicting soil moisture over the coming decades

The effectiveness of agrometeorological information in the realization of Kenya’s Vision 2030; lessons learnt from China

Agriculture is the backbone of Kenya’s economy. The agricultural practices in Kenya are mainly rain fed making them vulnerable to effects of climate variability and climate change. Weather forecast helps farming to maximize farm produce under prevailing meteorological conditions. Kenya’s Vision 2030 economic pillar is anchored on agriculture among other sectors. This calls for best farming practices and accurate, timely and reliable weather forecast. The Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) as well as China Meteorological Administration (CMA) issue closely similar agrometeorological forecast among other products. The main difference is the dissemination and uptake of the information, with CMA embracing dedicated daily television channel and daily newspaper to agrometeorological forecast unlike KMD that only uses media briefing and newspaper print on the day of seasonal weather release. The utilization of weather forecast has greatly helped China to grow its agricultural sector. The study recommends for KMD to adopt the approach of the media avenues adopted by CMA for effectiveness of weather forecast

Fog and low level stratus forecasting using satellite products; a case study of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Kenya

The occurrence of fog and low level stratus at airports causes a number of negative impacts ranging from delays, diversions, cancellations, extra fuel leading to reduced loading capacity and customer discomfort. Some of the impacts can be greatly minimized if the occurrence of fog and low level stratus are accurately, reliably and timely forecasted. The study aimed at investigating the utilization of METAR and satellite products, as well as their performance in issuance of Terminal Aerodrome Forecast at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The study is based on a case study of 20th and 21st August 2012,utilizing TAFs, Water Vapour imagery of satellite and METARs, High Resolution Visible, Infra-red channels. The fog and low level stratus were observed to form at around 0100 and 0500 UTC and dissipate at around 0500 UTC. The dissipation is mainly attributed to the incoming solar radiation. The satellite observations replicated the METARs issued. The study therefore recommends further utilization of satellite products and METAR reports in the issuance of Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts to help in minimizing the impacts associated with fog and low level stratus at the airport. However, the study calls for quantitative verification of the performance of the satellite products is however recommended to ascertain the accuracy of the products

Observed surface ozone trend in the year 2012 over Nairobi, Kenya

Clean air is a basic requirement for human health and wellbeing. The Kenya Meteorological Department has established air pollution monitoring activities in various sites in Nairobi, at Dagoretti Corner meteorological station and at Mount Kenya. Different pollutants are measured including ozone. The increased concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has influenced the weather and climate. This study examined the variations of surface ozone over Dagoretti Corner, Nairobi for a 12-month period ending July 2013, exactly one year after the start of data acquisition. The trend was studied using time series analysis of ozone concentration on both an hourly and monthly basis. The ozone data was then combined with meteorological data and temperature to find correlations between the two. Overall, the air quality of Nairobi, represented by Dagoretti Corner meteorological station is good as compared to the World Meteorological Organization ozone standards. The highest concentration of ozone is observed in the afternoon and the minimum at dawn on a daily basis. On seasonal scale, the highest levels are recorded in the cold months. This information helps to reduce exposure to the gas and thus to reduce its impacts on living things. The study recommends the reduction of exposure to the gas during the times when it has been observed to be highest in order to minimize its impacts

A review of the future of tourism in coastal Kenya: the challenges and opportunities posed by climate change

The Kenyan economy highly depends on agriculture and tourism. The performance of the two sectors of the economy are however very vulnerable to the effects of climate/weather variability. The main tourist attractions along the coastal Kenya are the historical and heritage sites such as the Vasco Da Gama Pillar, ruin of Gedi and the Fort Jesus, the coastal beaches, rainforests and marine parks. Climate variability and climate change is experienced globally; the changes and its impacts however vary both spatially and temporally. This study reviewed the future changes in climate over coastal Kenya and its effects on the tourism sector in the region. It employed both desk top review of literature in the two fields; tourism and climate changes and statistical analysis. The temperature, precipitation and floods are projected to increase in Kenya at large. These are likely to lead to sea-level rise that is expected to cause flooding and inundation of coast lines. This is a potential threat to coastal environment: low-lying coastal plains, islands, beaches, coastal wetlands and estuaries. These in turn lead to problems such as destruction of infrastructure and some tourism cites along the coast. This will hamper tourism at the coast reducing the revenue collection for Mombasa county and national governments. The study recommends that both the national and county governments sensitize several sectors on the causes and implications of climate change, and explore and develop non-nature-based tourism products and services

Temporal and spatial variability of temperature and precipitationover East Africa from 1951 to 2010

This study presents temporal and spatial changes in temperature and precipitation over East Africa (EA) from 1951 to 2010. The study utilized monthly Climate Research Unit (CRU) rainfall and temperature datasets, and Global Precipitation Climate Centre (GPCC) rainfall datasets. Sequential Mann–Kendall test statistic was used for trend analysis. The CRU data performs better than GPCC data in reproducing EA annual rainfall cycle. Overall decrease and increase in rainfall and temperature trends were observed, respectively, with the reduction in the March–May rainfall being significant. The highest rate of change in annual rainfall was experienced in the 1960s at −21.76 mm/year. Although there has been increase in temperature from the late 1960s to date, sudden change in its trend change happened in 1994. The increase in temperature reached a significant level in the year 1992. The highest warming rate of 0.05 °C/year was observed in the 1990s. The highest drying rate was recorded in the 1960s at −21.76 mm/year. There was an observed change in rainfall trend in the year 1953 and about four times in 1980, although the changes are insignificant throughout the study period except for 1963 when a positive significant change occurred at 5 % significance level. The highest amount of rainfall was recorded in the 1960s. Generally, positive rainfall and temperature anomalies are observed over the northern sector of the study area and opposite conditions are noted in the southern sector. The results of this study provide a reliable basis for future climate monitoring, as well as investigating extreme weather phenomena in EA

Estimation of mean monthly global solar radiation using clear sky solar radiation and sunshine hour for Nairobi City, Kenya

This study estimates the total solar radiation potential over Nairobi City. Several theoretical models based on the initial work of Angstrom have been used to estimate the global solar radiations on a horizontal surface for the city, using bright sunshine hours for the period 2004–2014. The models were developed using the 2004–2012 sunshine hours data and validated by comparing with measured values for 2013 and 2014. Dependencies of the models were tested using Mean BiasError, Root Mean Square Error, the Nash–Sutcliffe Equation and t-statistics. The result of clearness index for Nairobi shows that the sky is clear all year round except during the June-July-August season where KT is less than 0.5. Most models tested in the current studies were able to adequately estimate daily mean monthly global radiation from sunshine duration with Akinoglu and Ecevit model giving the best estimation

Past and projected changes in rainfall and temperature over East Africa

This study presents the past and future variations in mean rainfall and temperature over East Africa (EA) based on reanalyzed datasets, and Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5). Past climate is limited to 1951-2010 while climate simulations for a baseline period (1961–1990) and projection period (2071–2100), are compared. There is an overall reduction in rainfall, while temperature trend is positive over EA. CMIP5 models overestimate and underestimate seasonal rainfall of October–December (OND) and March–May (MAM), respectively. Rainfall is projected to increase under the RCP4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. Larger increases in rainfall will occur in OND than in MAM. During the last half of the 21st century, EA is likely to warm by 1.7–2.8 and 2.2–5.4 °C under the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios, respectively, relative to the baseline period. The central parts of Kenya and the Lake Victoria Basin will witness the highest increases in seasonal rainfall. Understanding the future climate variability in EA is important for planning purposes especially for sectors like agriculture that are mainly weather dependent. However, these results are based on relatively course resolution models prone to bias and therefore should be used with caution