Climate Resilient Water Supply in Kenya: Strategy Brief May 2019

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Climate Resilient Water Supply in Kenya: Strategy Brief May 2019

Across East Africa, surface temperatures have increased significantly over the last 50 years. The primary impacts of climate change are mostly felt through water. Climate related events such as droughts and flooding are already having a significant and diverse impact across the region, exacerbating existing challenges such as rapid population growth, extreme poverty, water shortages, rapid urbanisation and conflict. As WASH and climate change are so interrelated, it is vital that Governments, UNICEF and their partners work to protect children and their families from the impacts of climate change and ensure that children everywhere are able to live in safe and sustainable environments. Various studies have been carried out in the region and several UNICEF country offices have already commenced the piloting of climate resilience water programming1. For most however, this programming is still in the very early stages and there is a lack of capacity on how to effectively assess and address the impacts of climate change and, increasingly frequent,
climate related events on the WASH sector.

In 2017, Kenya experienced severe drought resulting in widespread food insecurity, increased malnutrition, and loss of livelihoods affecting around 2.6 million people. The impacts of the drought were exacerbated by the high proportion of non-functional rural water systems, as well as water systems that were not designed to be climate resilient. . A UNICEF Kenya sustainability study of 130
rural water systems in 20142 found that only 68% of rural water systems constructed under the WASH programme 2008-2014 were fully functional.    Across all sectors there is a concerted effort to develop the resilience of communities in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) of Kenya, East Africa and the Sahel. Although the concept of resilience is much debated, consensus has not yet been reached on the precise meaning of resilience and what it means for interventions in these areas. Despite the obvious fact that the primary drought risk for communities in the ASALs is water shortage, much of the focus of these debates and resilience interventions have focused on the livelihoods and food security sector. Therefore, the role of water in the resilience concept and related interventions is far from clear.

This strategy brief presents an overview of the existing systems and approaches for sustainable and resilient water systems in drought-affected counties as well as innovations for water resilience in other parts of Kenya. Based on this review the brief recommends a strategic approach for UNICEF Kenya to support climate resilient water services. The review and resulting strategy focus on rural
water supplies in ASAL areas where drought is the main hazard. Strengthening resilience of wider WASH systems to multiple hazards would require a different strategy.