Mombasa Gen Z take the lead in pollution fight

Within the span of a few decades, pollution has become a worldwide menace, placing planet Earth at risk.

Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, fossil fuels and waste mismanagement have caused severe damage to Kenya’s ecosystems.

Pollution has resulted in up to 1.2 million tonnes of plastic being deposited along the country’s coastline each year, while areas such as Nairobi’s Dandora landfill receive about 2,000 tonnes of waste daily.

Taka Taka ni Mali founder Eliazer Mabwai, says under-utilised and unmanaged waste materials, especially in dumpsites pose a serious risk to the environment and human health, with the greatest negative impact felt by the most vulnerable in society.

Simply put, we are consuming resources at an unstable rate, and disposing of them in an unsustainable manner. 

Climate change poses significant threats to Kenya’s economy, which relies heavily on tourism and rainfed agriculture. Increasing heat and droughts have led to severe crop and livestock losses, impacting food security and livelihoods.

Economic prospects

This economic strain has pushed Gen Z to advocate for climate action to protect their future economic prospects.

At this rate, within their lifetimes, they will face between 2.7 to 4.3°F of warming, according to the United Nations.

“As temperatures rise, more moisture evaporates, which exacerbates extreme rainfall and flooding, causing more destructive storms,” the organisation says.

These weather changes can ruin economies and the quality of life for our future generations exponentially.

The US Agency for International Development estimates that 92 per cent of Kenya’s plastic is mismanaged, with only around seven per cent ending up recycled, resulting in 37 kilotons of plastic waste leaking into the environment and ocean each year.

This means in the future, Kenyans, particularly in major cities will live in a polluted environment, placing their health and effectiveness at risk.