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The County Government of Kilifi with the Regenerative Seascapes for People, Climate and Nature (ReSea) Project brought together stakeholders to carry out a review of the Participatory Climate Risk Assessment (PRCSA) Report and identify climate intervention priorities in the 14 selected wards within the county. This was to foster community-led action in addressing the climate related challenges faced by the county.

Participants were drawn from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), ward authorities, climate change planning committees, women's groups, youth organizations, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) associations, and technical experts from relevant government departments and development partners, providing a gender-inclusive lens to the PCRA report and climate interventions.

Photo: ReSea Project

Climate change is a global crisis, impacting livelihoods, infrastructure, and ecosystems. Kilifi County is categorized as semi-arid thus prone to climate-related hazards. The effects of climate change are pronounced, exacerbating existing vulnerabilities and inequalities among various segments of the population. Women, youth, PWDs, the marginalized, and vulnerable have borne the brunt of these impacts. They face heightened risks and limited access to resources, intensifying their susceptibility to climate-related hazards. Cyclical droughts and floods and their accompanying effects such as ocean pollution, inarable agricultural land and loss of marine habitats, have led to food insecurity, displacement, loss of life and livelihoods, as well as significant damage to infrastructure and productive assets within the county.

However, through the Climate Change Policy and Act, the Kilifi County Government has taken steps towards addressing these challenges. All government sectors within the county have been mandated to mainstream climate change responses into development planning; facilitate effective management of climate change impacts; support and facilitate community-based and community-initiated adaptation and mitigation activities; provide incentives for the private sector to contribute to achievement of low carbon climate resilient development; facilitate public participation in climate change response; ensure the protection of the right to a clean and healthy environment, in accordance with the Constitutional provisions.

The PCRA report is one such outcome. Through it, communities identified the existing climate change hazards within Kilifi County and their impacts and proposed practical solutions for evidence-based County Climate Change Action Planning and implementation.

The review of the PCRA report served as a valuable platform for promoting gender inclusive and participatory approaches to building climate resilience, ensuring that the voices and concerns of women, youth, PWDs, and the marginalized and vulnerable in communities are central to climate adaptation efforts. A total of 221 participants were sensitized on the outcomes of PCRA conducted in 2023, various climate policies and legal frameworks, and introduced to the World Bank funded Financing Locally Led Climate Actions (FLLoCA) program as a source of funding towards climate interventions in the counties. Gender-inclusive adaptation pathways for 14 selected wards from Kilifi North, Malindi and Magarini sub-counties were identified ensuring that adaptation strategies were tailored to the specific needs of diverse community members.

Furthermore, participants collaborated in developing proposals for gender-responsive adaptation pathways in the 14 wards, identifying 42 climate investment priorities and proposals developed as per the FLLoCA guidelines that would inform funding whose implementation would enhance resilience of the people. The aim of this activity was to foster equitable and inclusive climate action and lay the foundation for inclusive climate dialogue and resilience-building at the grassroots level. Partners were charged with seeking financial support for the implementation of successful proposals.

ReSea Project

This endeavour, done with the support of Global Affairs Canada through the ReSea Project, goes beyond the mere identification of climate priorities; it symbolizes a paradigm shift towards inclusive decision-making and community-led action. By amplifying the voices of marginalized groups and integrating their perspectives into climate planning and investment, Kilifi Seascape sets a precedent for transformative change. It exemplifies how collaborative efforts, rooted in inclusivity and shared ownership, can pave the way for a more resilient and sustainable future for all.

The Regenerative Seascapes for People, Climate and Nature (ReSea) Project seeks to promote gender equality and social inclusion while building communities’ resilience, physically and economically, to the effects of climate change. The project is implemented in Kenya (in the Kilifi North Seascape), Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar and Comoros by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Mission Inclusion.