The Meteorological Department, today launched a report on Climate Change Impacts in Kenya, highlighting what climate change means for a country and its people. Rich in biodiversity and natural resources, the nation’s landscape and climate are highly diverse.

The report by Patricia Nying’uro of Kenya Met, Dr. Joyce Kimutai of Kenya Met and Grantham Institute for Climate Change and Environment, Imperial College London, Kenneth Mwangi of World Resources Institute, Africa, and Winnie Khaemba of Climate Analytics; seeks to highlight the causes of climate change in the country, analyzing the mitigation measures and ways of adapting to the prevailing conditions at the community level.

Kenya, a country with a population of about 47.6 million, draws 42% of its GDP from its natural resources, including agriculture, tourism, forestry, mining and fishing. According to the report, agriculture employs over 40% of the active workforce. However, the sector has been hit by climate change’s effects, with estimates showing that the prolonged drought in 2022 triggered a countrywide fall in maize production of 6.5% and a 3.3 % drop in horticultural exports.

Moreover, climate change has exacerbated the occurrence of heat waves. In East Africa, the average temperature increased by 0.7-1 degree Celsius between 1973 and 2013, which has had multiple cascading impacts on Kenya’s People, natural ecosystems, and economy. This worrying trend is predicted to result in an additional 75.9 million people at risk from malaria in eastern and southern Africa by 2080 and a decline in wheat yields in Africa of 15% by 2050.

Additionally, the increased intensity of heavy rainfall in the Horn of Africa in 2023 due to climate change caused devastating effects on the communities. More than 300 deaths and millions of displaced households were recorded, as farmlands were flooded reducing farm inputs with consequences to food availability. The unprecedented rainfall patterns also have disrupted the ecosystem; for instance, the Great Rift Valley lakes have expanded in area by 21% for Lake Naivasha.

Furthermore, the report highlights the increase in conflicts as competition for resources rises due to migration and displacement due to extreme droughts. Based on the report on Climate Change Impacts in Kenya between 1995 and 2019, the percentage of Kenyans living under water-stressed conditions increased from 15% to 33%.

Tourism, which plays an important role in the nation’s economy is also in a precarious situation. Rainfall variability and prolonged drought are already altering wildlife migrations, affecting tourist visits. Also, the flamingo population has declined from 2 million to 200, further highlighting the dangers of climate change.

With 70% of the Kenyan population employed in climate-sensitive sectors, sustainable mechanisms to mitigate and adapt to the prevailing conditions need to dominate conversations. Speaking during the launch, Vihiga Governor, Wilba Otichilo, who is also the Chair Environment & Climate Change Committee in the council of the governor said the government has outlined its sustainable development blueprint, Vision 2030.

“I would like to confirm to you that Sh. 7.3 billion has already been disbursed to counties, meant for local communities to enhance sustainable practices and promote adaptive measures on the prevailing effects of climate change,” the governor said. He further lauded the report’s authors and researcher scientists, asking that the report be broken down into local dialects and distributed in local communities in every county to ensure a proper understanding of the dire situation of the nation’s future concerning climate change.

Despite being a vulnerable continent, little funding is directed to Africa for climate change adaptation research. Dr. Ahmed Idris, the Secretary-General of the Kenya Red Cross Society, decried the poor climate financing landscape. “Despite the introduction of global climate finance, mechanisms of financing have not been established. Our country is getting poorer because of climate change,” he said. He further highlighted that 7% of the country’s GDP is lost every year due to climate change.

Changes in the climate financing landscape would be needed to spur resilience building and transformation in Kenya, as would ways to better involve indigenous peoples and promote gender and social inclusivity.