The initiative dubbed Changieni Rasilimali (Contribute to Resources) is a partnership between a non-governmental organization, ACT Management, Britain’s aid organizations and the Swedish government.

Speaking during the launch in Nairobi, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka urged civil society organizations to help county governments come up with inventories of the available natural resources and how to best utilize them.

“That way, we can identify our competitive advantages and allocate resources in a manner that benefits the greatest number of people,” Musyoka said.

The East African nation has accelerated the implementation of climate change adaptation and mitigation projects in critical sectors that include forestry, energy, water and agriculture.

Kenya’s economy is dependent on climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture, water, energy, tourism and coastal zones.

Musyoka said time has come for the civil society and the general public to be more involved in environmental conservation “Enhancing the capacities of the people is a sure way to sustainable development,” Musyoka noted.

Whereas many of the solutions to environmental and natural resource challenges require a global approach, the Vice President said, “We must challenge ourselves to think globally and act locally.”

He said that the Kenya 2010 constitution provides a people-led approach to sustainable development, saying he had championed when he served in the environment docket.

“I was very privileged then, to work with the legendary Wangari Maathai, whose work continues to inspire this country and the rest of the world to this day,” he said.

“Enhancing the capacities of the people is a sure way to sustainable development,” Musyoka said. He said civil society organizations, especially those working at the County level should aggressively help the mapping of resources in each county.

“I want every county to have in place effective resources mapping mechanisms. That way, we can identify our competitive advantages and allocate resources in a manner that benefits the greatest number of people,” he said.

He said that the Changieni Raslimali facility is an initiative that can contribute in sustaining the management of our natural resources in the country. The Vice President said that effective and visionary leadership is the engine of good environmental governance.