THE NAIROBI RIVER
This river flows through the Kenya capital city. The Nairobi river is the main river in the Nairobi river basin. For a very long time, Nairobi river has faced a number of issues related to pollution as a result of human activity. This river has simply become a dumping site thus, making it difficult even for the people living near the river. However, there many projects that have been initiated in efforts to rehabilitate this river but none has proved successful. A change in this river depend on our willingness to conserve our environment. The government should also come up with proper policies that will help in protection of the Nairobi river. In the past years , policies have been formulated but none has been enacted. This is an issue of poor management and leadership in our environmental management organizations. However, this is not the right time to shift blames its time to act and do what we forgot to do in the past and ensure sustainability of our environment. I suggest that the government start with the "big fish" in this game of water and river pollution in general, i mean the industries along the river basin. As a result of industrialization in our country, water pollution in Nairobi river has continues to worsen. Many industries are now dumping the waste materials in to this river. This pose a great danger to the people, animals, and the fauna. polluter pay principle might not be a solution to this problem but a driver to the problem. The big question is what does the future hold for our environment?
What are we doing to the future of our children? Why don't we save the environment?
Everyday, we line up and make a lot of noise about big environmental problems like incinerators, waste dumps, acid rain, global warming and pollution. But we don't understand that when we add up all the tiny environmental problems each of us creates, we end up with those big environmental dilemmas. Humans are content to blame someone else, like government or corporations, for the messes we create, and yet we each continue doing the same things, day in and day out, that have created the problems. Sure, corporations create pollution. If they do, don't buy their products. If you have to buy their products (gasoline for example), keep it to a minimum. Sure, municipal waste incinerators pollute the air. Stop throwing trash away. Minimize your production of waste. Recycle. Buy food in bulk and avoid packaging waste. Simplify. Turn off your TV. Grow your own food. Make compost. Plant a garden. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem. If you don't, who will?
The images of the river 1, 2, 3 taken by Carolina Vasconcellos
