Garissa University Climate Change Mitigation and Agriculture Programme
Garissa University College is located in Garissa County. The county is among the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands(ASALs) of Kenya characterized by low water availability due to inadequate and poorly distributed annual rainfall. In this county, sources of water are usually found far apart and in most cases such sources are ephemeral. This forces the local communities to walk long distances in search of water. The local communities usually waste most of the productive time searching for water, with the implication that vital socio-economic activities that can contribute to the alleviation of poverty are neglected. However, the county is endowed with abundant natural resources that include adequate sunshine, frequent winds and a wealth of permanent ground water aquifers. The location of Garissa University College within the shores of River Tana gives the university a unique environmental advantage in that most of the effects impacted by the ASALs adverse climate are generally moderated by the river belt micro-environment.
It is with this in mind that the university has launched an environmental programme tagged ‘Garissa University Climate Change Mitigation and Agriculture Programme’with several projects under it. The first project under this programme has already been initiated and it involves ‘greening and beautification’ of the university’s main campus. Some donor organizationshave started showing interest in the programme. Other projects under the programme include: water drilling, treatment and supply; rainwater harvesting and storage; wind and solar power generation; wind and solar powered water pumping; and integrated controlled environment aquaponic-hydroponic agriculture. All phases of each of these projects havecomponents charged with communityoutreach andsmallholdercapacitybuilding which incorporates also thematic areas of ‘peace, security and stability’.
This programme is a brainchild of Garissa University College that is intended to translate into the Garissa University Centre of Excellence in Integrated Controlled Environment Agriculture’, there by putting the university on the map of the African Centres of Excellence (ACEs).