Summary

Ecological Society for Eastern Africa (ESEA) is a membership based organization. ESEA draws its members from various professionals and institutions (from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia) who are engaged in scientific research and management of species and ecosystems. 

Since its inception, ESEA has organized three international conferences as follows:

1.    Integrating Environmental Sustainability and Development in East Africa: Inaugural Conference 2-4 May, 2007 National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi- Kenya. 

2.    Integrating Environmental Sustainability and Development in East Africa: Maiden Scientific Conference 22 – 23 May, 2008, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) Conference Hall. 

3.    Challenges in Sustainable use of Natural Resource in Eastern Africa (2nd Annual Scientific Conference) 17-20 June, 2009 Makerere University, Kampala Uganda

The risks associated with climate change threaten to add to and exacerbate development challenges such as food and water insecurity, widening and deepening poverty, already confronting developing countries in africa. There is general concern on the accelerating deterioration of the human environment and natural resources due to climate change which threatens the gains made towards achieving sustainable development. While the Earth's climate has changed throughout history, the current warming trend has  been of particular concern because most of it is human-induced and proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented.  One of the greatest concerns of this global warming is climate change.  

The changing global climate threatens species and entire ecosystems. The distribution of species is largely determined by climate, as is the distribution of ecosystems and plant vegetation zones.  Climate change is transforming ecosystems on an extraordinary scale, at an extraordinary pace.  In eastern africa climate changes has been evidenced by changes in rainfall seasonality and increased frequency and severity in droughts, extreme rainfall events during the rainy season leading to floods, have contributed to changes in the seasonal rhythms of streams and rivers impacting crop production and water availability. 

This year the Ecological Society of Eastern African organised its 3rd annual scientific conference, whose theme revolved around the ever present climate change phenomena, its impacts, mitigation strategies and adaptation measures with regard to natural resource use in Eastern Africa. The conference took place at the Multi-Media University College in Nairobi-Kenya, on the 19th - 21st of May 2010.

 

The following were this year’s conference objectives:

1. Share the information on impacts of climate change on natural resources

2. Share information on ways in which communities in eastern African are coping with climate change

3. Share information on mitigation policies in place and how they will benefit the people of eastern Africa.

4. Offer recommendations in form of policy briefs to governments, research institutions and stakeholders.

Conference Overview

 

While African has been poorly informed on the climate change paradigm, its impacts threats and opportunities have not been fully understood. It has thus become imperative to bring together scientists, climate change experts, communication agents, vulnerable communities, policy makers and implementers in the region, to collate and disseminate information for better climate change management. This year’s conference addressed topics on impacts of climate change, adaptation mechanisms and mitigation strategies, with the aim of increasing awareness of vulnerabilities, impacts and targeted adaptation measures that can be applied in the region. 

The ESEA third annual scientific conference was particularly important, as climate change has emerged as the greatest threat facing the planet. Several professionals, and their organisations made the conference possible through their generous support and collaborative efforts. Various governmental, non-governmental and private sector organisations in the region, Amongst them;

- Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA)-

- Food and Agricultural Organisation, 

- Oxfam GB,

- DAAD,

- TROCAIRE,

- The Government of Kenya, through the Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Environment,

- Multi-Media University,

- Alpine Coolers,

- Forest Action Network,

- Kenya Climate Change Working Group (KCCWG),

- Climate 2010 and the

- British Ecological Society provided invaluable support that contributed to the success of the conference.

 

The Organizing Committee arranged high-quality guest speakers (Appendix 2) to present papers on climate change thematic areas of; impacts, adaptation and mitigation. The first day of the conference was comprised of plenary sessions and discussions. There were exciting presentations from the plenary on the impacts of climate change on wildlife, REDDs, Kenya’s climate change strategy programme, Climate change and land use amongst others. The second day had a combination of plenary and “break-out” sessions.  In the break-out sessions participants further deliberated on three broad areas of climate change adaptation, impacts and mitigation.

 

This year’s conference was well attended, meeting the high expectations of the organizers. The event had a strong regional representation, there were 183 participants (Appendix 1) representing 13 countries within and without Africa. Amongst them 142 were from Kenya, 11 Tanzanians, 8 Ugandans, 8 Ethiopians, 3 Malawians, 1 Tswana’s, 2 Rwandese, 2 Sudanese, 1 Canadian, 1 Indonesian, 1 Italian, 1 Liberian and 1 American. Another highlight of the conference was the student competition where students presented papers on diverse topical issue in science and where winners were awarded prizes. The best student presentations were by Ms. Emily Anderson a Masters Student at the University of British Columbia in Canada, Ms. Mornica Ombogo and Ms. Jacinter Amadi both Masters students at Kenyatta University, Kenya.