We have keen interest in the extractives, specifically artisanal and small scale mining, as well as the oil and Gas sector. Our team has supported the artisanal and small scale miners in the formalization process, compliance with legal and regulatory framework, as well as access to appropriate and clean technologies for the mining operations. We have particularly worked with artisanal and small scale Gold Miners in western Kenya to empower them to adopt sustainable mining practices. We have also worked closely with artisanal miners in Taita Taveta County on issues of governance within the sector. Our efforts are geared towards improving the governance aspects within the artisanal mining sector, so as to empower miners and mining groups to lobby for laws and regulations that are supportive to them, access Best Available Technologies and Best Environmental Practices (BAT/BEP), and practice sustainable mining practices. We offer capacity building support to the miners, as well as support in development of environmental management plans. Our expertise has been sought in the review of Environmental and social impact assessment reports for upstream and mid-stream projects in oil and gas exploration in Kenya.
At Emerald environment, we are constantly aware of the growing reliance on chemicals across all the sectors of the economy. We take not of the fact that In Kenya, the import of organic & inorganic chemicals increased from 389,311.2 tonnes in 2014 to 315,055.3 Tonnes in 2019 according to the Kenya Bureau of standards. We appreciate that the growing demand for chemicals is happening is a n environment wher the capacity to manage chemical related waste is weak. To this end, our chemical team has been actively engaged in research to establish risks of exposure to hazardous chemicals such as lead, and mercury. We have partnered with various government agencies to raise awareness on chemical risks, as well as participate in drafting of legislation to address these risks. Our team have been part of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), and have participated in various activities with the frameworks of Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions, as well as the Minamata convention on mercury. We have worked closely with the horticulture industry in addressing the challenges of Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs). In the Mining Sector, we are working with government, local partners and miners to address the issue of mercury pollution in artisanal and small scale gold mining (ASGM). In the paint industry, we have worked with different stakeholders in addressing the challenge of Lead in paint
At the core of our operations is water and sanitation. Our team has worked extensively in this field, implementing projects that enhance the right to water and sanitation as enshrined in the bill of rights, as well as the SDGs. We design water treatment and reticulation systems, as well as offer institutional capacity assessment and capacity development for water sector institutions. We have been actively engaged in water and sanitation baseline surveys to gauge access to and quality of services. Our team has conducted several water and sanitation service standard assessment using the citizens’ report card tool to gauge level of satisfaction with the quality of service provision, and design response strategies to enhance quality of service provision
We believe that the countries Natural Capital is the Key Pillar for its economic and social development. To this end, management of our natural resource is vital. We have experts in different ecologies (fresh water ecology, Marine Ecology, Forest Ecology, Range Management) as well as environmental scientists and environmental planners, making the core of our NRM team. We are aware of the Key emerging issues in the NRM sector which include large scale infrastructure interventions (roads, railways, pipelines, ports), Large Scale Irrigation projects, rising cases of Land use conflicts between development and conservation, Ecosystem fragmentation among others as key threat to our natural resources. The demand for natural resources to support livelihoods and economic development has come at a cost to conservation. Our team has expertise in baseline assessments, preparation of Resource Management plans and strategies, ecological assessments, and ecological impact assessments. We offer advisory services for infrastructure interventions, with an aim of helping developers to achieve sustainability in the projects. We are also active in capacity development targeting different actors in the NRM sector. Our team is actively involved in research within the NRM field, and the findings feed to development of different strategies and models for achieving sustainable utilization of natural resources.
We believe that the policy and regulatory environment is the cornerstone for sustainability. The polices and laws set the environment for good governance of natural resources. We have been active in policy and laws formulation process for the past 10 years, participating in review of various policy documents, and in technical working groups for policies and laws formulation.