{"id":140202,"date":"2026-05-07T18:02:51","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T18:02:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/climate-experts-link-methane-pollution-to-food-insecurity-and-health-risks\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T18:02:51","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T18:02:51","slug":"climate-experts-link-methane-pollution-to-food-insecurity-and-health-risks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/climate-experts-link-methane-pollution-to-food-insecurity-and-health-risks\/","title":{"rendered":"Climate Experts Link Methane Pollution to Food Insecurity and Health Risks"},"content":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 7 \u2014 Climate experts and development partners have called for a unified national approach to methane reduction, warning that rising emissions are pushing the climate crisis closer to irreversible tipping points while threatening Kenya\u2019s agriculture, economy, and public health.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Speaking during a Parliament-Media Breakfast Dialogue on Methane Emissions at Parliament Buildings on Thursday, scientists, environmental experts, and private sector players urged lawmakers to accelerate the implementation of policies and legislation aimed at reducing methane pollution.<\/p>\n

The forum, held ahead of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Regional Seminar on Methane and Climate Action scheduled for May 14\u201318 in Nairobi, brought together legislators, researchers, development partners, and environmental stakeholders under the theme: \u201cEnhancing Public Understanding and Parliamentary Action on Methane Reduction in Kenya.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Director of the Industry and Economy Division Dr. Sheila Aggarwal-Khan warned that methane emissions are increasingly undermining agricultural productivity while worsening climate-related disasters across the globe.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are seeing methane emissions growing globally and affecting agricultural productivity,\u201d Aggarwal-Khan said.<\/p>\n

She described methane as a \u201cshort-lived climate pollutant\u201d that is significantly more potent than carbon dioxide in driving climate change, warning that urgent action is needed to prevent the world from crossing dangerous climate thresholds.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe importance of methane as a short-lived climate pollutant is that if we reduce it now, we can actually stop global warming from reaching the tipping point,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Aggarwal-Khan noted that methane emissions from organic waste, livestock, rice farming, and oil and gas leaks continue to rise globally, even as countries struggle with declining food production and worsening air pollution.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the one hand, we are seeing extreme climate events causing declines in agricultural productivity. On the other hand, methane emissions are continuing to grow globally while further affecting agricultural productivity,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She pointed to innovations in organic waste recycling, livestock feed production, and fertilizer generation as examples of how methane reduction could unlock economic opportunities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe see innovations converting organic waste into livestock feed and fertilizer,\u201d she said. \u201cThat could be very important as we think through how to reduce methane emissions across the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aggarwal-Khan also emphasized the role of the media in combating misinformation and helping the public understand climate action initiatives.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s unbelievably important for farmers and for those looking for investment opportunities to understand that reducing methane can actually present economic potential,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Also addressing the meeting, climate expert Dr. Michael Andersen from the Centre for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry warned that pollution-related deaths could rise sharply if countries fail to act decisively on emissions.<\/p>\n

According to Andersen, Kenya recorded approximately 5,000 pollution-related deaths in 2019, while global deaths linked to pollution stood at about 1.1 million.<\/p>\n

He warned that the number of pollution-related deaths in Kenya could increase to 25,000 annually by 2050 if urgent interventions are not implemented.<\/p>\n

Andersen called for coordinated action involving Parliament, government agencies, development partners, and the private sector to ensure climate policies are effectively implemented.<\/p>\n

He stressed that decisions made by policymakers today would shape the future of environmental conservation and climate resilience.<\/p>\n

International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Senior Scientist Dr. Claudia Arndt said methane reduction remains one of the fastest and most effective ways of slowing global warming before the climate crisis reaches irreversible levels.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we don\u2019t reduce methane, we get to the tipping point, and other methane sources from permafrost and elsewhere are released. Then we actually reach the point of no return,\u201d Arndt warned.<\/p>\n

She noted that livestock remains Kenya\u2019s largest source of methane emissions, followed by waste and rice farming, but emphasized that proven solutions already exist.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do have solutions. We know what works, and we have an idea of what works in different systems, but we need to scale up,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

According to Arndt, improving livestock feed quality could increase milk production by about 30 percent while reducing methane emissions by 15 percent.<\/p>\n

She added that improving animal health could dramatically reduce emissions while strengthening food security.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we were effectively able to eliminate calf mortality, we could feed 4.5 million more Kenyans with meat,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Arndt further revealed that modelling in Kenya\u2019s beef sector showed methane emissions could be reduced by up to 50 percent by 2050 through improved feeding, animal health, breeding, and management practices.<\/p>\n

\u201cMethane is not just a pollutant, it\u2019s an opportunity. We can capture it and use it as biogas,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Regen Organics Managing Director Michael Lwoyelo said poor organic waste management has evolved into a major climate and public health challenge in urban areas.<\/p>\n

\u201cOrganic waste is not just a societal problem. It\u2019s not just a public health problem. What we are now seeing is that organic waste is actually a climate problem,\u201d Lwoyelo said.<\/p>\n

He noted that Kenya generates approximately 22,000 tonnes of waste daily, about 60 percent of which is organic and capable of emitting methane when left to decompose without oxygen.<\/p>\n

\u201cMethane is 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Lwoyelo said improper waste disposal is worsening flooding, air pollution, and disease outbreaks in urban areas.<\/p>\n

He highlighted circular economy solutions that convert organic waste into livestock feed, fertilizer, and biochar as viable approaches for reducing methane emissions while improving food security and soil health.<\/p>\n

The experts\u2019 submissions were echoed by lawmakers, who pledged to strengthen legislative and policy frameworks to support methane reduction initiatives.<\/p>\n

National Assembly Departmental Committee on Livestock and Agriculture Chairperson Dr. John Mutunga said Parliament has a responsibility to champion public awareness and develop methane-focused regulations.<\/p>\n

\u201cMethane is potent and therefore responsible for 30 percent of global warming,\u201d Mutunga said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is need for appropriate regulations, legislation, and policies,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Chairperson of the Parliamentary Pastoralist Group Abdullahi Bashir also called for methane-specific laws and greater inclusion of pastoralist communities in climate discussions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a number of regulations and Acts that we have, but nothing specific on methane. It is upon Parliament now to structure specific methane regulations,\u201d Bashir said.<\/p>\n

He further challenged researchers to conduct more studies on methane emissions from camels, noting that pastoralist communities have largely been left out of climate policy conversations.<\/p>\n

The upcoming IPU regional seminar is expected to bring together lawmakers from across Africa to discuss climate action and strengthen the role of parliaments in reducing methane emissions.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 7 \u2014 Climate experts and development partners have called for a unified national approach to methane reduction, warning that rising emissions are pushing the climate crisis closer to irreversible tipping points while threatening Kenya\u2019s agriculture, economy, and public health. Speaking during a Parliament-Media Breakfast Dialogue on Methane Emissions at Parliament Buildings on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-140202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140202","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=140202"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140202\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=140202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=140202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=140202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}