Wangari Maathai Day - Mawazo's Work On Environmental Conservation
Author: Ruth Kimani
Today is Africa Environment Day, a special day established by the Organization of African Unity in 2002. This day is celebrated annually on March 3rd , and was established as a way of raising awareness of the pressing environmental challenges facing the continent.
Since 2012, the Africa Environment Day has been celebrated in conjunction with Wangari Maathai Day, as a tribute to the late Nobel Laureate's green legacy.
Mawazo Institute supports early-career women researchers as they work to find solutions to local and global development challenges. Our work aligns with SDG 4: to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. We work with young African women who are significantly underrepresented in academia and research, and who can contribute important knowledge and perspectives to issues affecting African development. We work to unlock their potential by equipping them with the skills and networks to conduct high-quality research.
Today, we commemorate this day by featuring Kenyans working on environmental and climate change issues by symbolizing a challenge and hope for Africa aiming to raise awareness on sustainable environmental management among all stakeholders at national, regional, and continental levels.
Mawazo PhD Scholars
Meet Judith Koskey, an environmental scientist analyzing the state of environmental degradation in the Njoro River watershed. Judith’s research will provide recommendations for effective approaches to conserve the area while securing livelihoods of local communities.
Meet Edinah Song’oro, a geneticist whose research studies the prevalence of anti-microbial resistant genes in various environmental sites in Kenya. Edinah’s research will help increase our understanding of how this impacts spread of resistance into human and animal populations, and inform efforts to reduce the burden of infections caused by environmental microorganisms such as bacteria.
Nairobi Ideas Podcast
Meet Dr. Paula Kahumbu, an award-winning Kenyan conservationist and the current CEO of WildlifeDirect.
Meet Dr. Leah Oyake-Ombis, a plastic waste management expert, part-time lecturer, a consultant and a notable critic of the plastic bag ban in Kenya. Dr. Leah advocates for systems that emphasize recycling and adequate waste management, while building on existing industries.
Meet James Wakibia, an environmental activist and photographer who was instrumental in the campaign that yielded Kenya’s 2017 single-use plastic bag ban.
Mawazo Blogs
Nairobi Ideas Explainer: Plastics, in this blog, Mawazo explores plastics: their origin, effectiveness of the plastic bag ban, notable criticism facing the ban, alternatives to plastics as well as whether recycling is the solution.
Mawazo Learning Exchange Fellows
Meet Desta Gebeyu, her research interest is in Bioenergy, specifically bioethanol gel fuel and briquettes, solid waste management, and climate-smart Agroforestry.
Meet Lilian Kong’ani, In her work, Lilian also participated in the coordination of the “Stabilizing Kenya through Resolving Forest Related Conflicts” project and served as an assistant on the “Promoting the Critical Role of Women in Climate Change (wPOWER) Hub” initiative, which aimed at building the evidence base on women, energy access and climate solutions.
Meet Yvonne Githiora, As a trained ecologist, Yvonne’s thesis investigates the impacts of changes in land use and climate on ecosystem services delivery in the Yala wetland in western Kenya.