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Concerted efforts have been made to enable communication and adoption of improved cookstoves by diverse development organizations in Kenya. However, their adoption remains low. This study sought to examine levels of adoption and use of improved cookstoves in Magina, Kiambu County and determine factors affecting their adoption and use. Results demonstrate that 93% of the households received the cookstoves from developmental programmes, among these 50% were making use of them but only 14% of the 50% had fully adopted them as main cookstoves. Efficiency and suitability, socio-cultural practices, economic capacity, limited capacity to appreciate the improved cookstoves concept and governance considerations were the cited limiting factors to adoption and use. There is need for an enabling policy and strategies to implement the bottom-up approach in the design and implementation of improved cookstoves to facilitate the upscaling of the adoption and use of improved cookstoves to conserve the forests in the country for sustainable development.

Kong’ani LNS, Mutune JM, Thenya T. 2018. Analysis of climate change knowledge and its implications on livelihood options in Naituyupaki Location, Maasai Mau Forest, Narok County, Kenya. Asian J For 2: 62-66. Climate change knowledge among rural forest adjacent communities influences responsive dynamics towards rural livelihood in terms of mitigations and adaptations. Rural households are highly dependent on natural resources, whose base is highly indisputably threatened by the changing climate. Some of the responses towards climate change dynamics exert increased pressure on Maasai Mau forest resources for sustenance. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between forest based livelihood dynamics and climate change knowledge. Results indicate that 93% of the respondents were aware of climate change through life experiences. The cited primary causes of climate change by 72% of the respondents included natural causes (26%), human activities (2%) and punishment from gods respectively. The agricultural production and forest products are the main livelihood activities among the people and these livelihood support activities are, to a large extent, affected by climate change. There is need to continuously expose local community to emerging knowledge on impact of climate change for improved mitigation and adaptations.

In this chapter, we demonstrate how geothermal has the potential to solve climate change. Geothermal is part of green energy, which contributes toward the achievement of sustainable development goals, that is, SGD 7, on affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all, SDG 13, on climate actions, and the Paris Agreement. We present the potential of geothermal energy in Kenya and link it to its ability to provide solutions for Africa and Kenya considering current geopolitics, including Brexit, climate change, the Russian-Ukraine war, and COVID-19. However, this chapter argues that geothermal energy production should be developed within a sustainability framework. Environmental conflicts occasioned by the implementation of developmental projects are on the rise. Geothermal projects are likely to introduce new conflicts between the government and the communities. Therefore, natural resource conflict resolution should be part of the development of geothermal energy. This chapter draws inspiration from a study on conflict types and their management in the Olkaria IV geothermal development project in Kenya. From the study, it is apparent that mediation is one of the sustainable environmental conflict management strategies. The chapter concludes that geothermal energy production has the potential to contribute to the prosperity of Kenya economically.