By; Jacob Omondi, Patricia Songoro (KYCTV) and Jackline Waithaka.

 Our Earth is beautiful as viewed from the sky.

 But wait! Is Mother about to cry?

 This blue planet shakes and trembles and sheds its tears

 As it feels the wars and the pain of its tenants' fears.

 It's the human ones causing the destruction.

 Of all that Mother put into production,

 Millions of eons shifting lands to and fro,

 Forming mountains and valleys and waters that flow,

 Habitats grown to nurture all her children

 Are destroyed by the greed of human evolution.

 Has the Mother taken all that she can?

 Is she objecting to the iniquities of man?

 How many cuts and incisions can she take?

 As species land and forests disappear in man's wake,

 She gives her warnings as the elements explode,

 Showing how vulnerable humans are in their humble abodes.

 Catastrophes are spreading across the globe.

 How much worse will they become? No one knows.

 The Mother is angry, and she has just begun

 To vent her fury as she converses with her sun,

 So beware, human ones, and heed Mother's actions.

 Let not complacency and avarice become your distractions.

Has the Mother not provided all that you need?

 Yet you repay her with ignorance and contempt as you feed,

 So open your eyes, human ones, and respect Mother's love,

 For this is Mother Earth given to us from above.

Dave Mottram, 2019.

Urbanization is a global trend. As urban opportunities have attracted rural residents, cities continue to grow immensely. Along with this significant growth and a surge in the number of people living in urban and peri-urban areas, population pressures subsequently cause urban centers to grow upwards and outwards and residents continue to seek affordable housing on increasingly inadequate land. In a quest to seek habitable land that remains limited, informal settlements characterized by tenure insecurity and limited basic services proliferate. These settlements fall outside formal laws and regulations and often lack recognition by the government. This results in exclusion evident through limited access to basic services and infrastructure, including climate-resilient infrastructure bearing in mind the unique challenges residents living informally face rendering them vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and natural hazards. Many informal settlements are inadequately-prepared for climate change increasing the various risks. These areas are often gravely affected by flooding, drought, heat waves and other climate-related disasters. In the case of informal settlements, there continues to be a constant need to boost climate resilience at various scales and with a range of different measures.

There are various existing opportunities to effect change through innovation, a climate justice approach and strong coalitions for just climate action. Muungano’s/ SDI-Kenya’s Voices for Just Climate Action program provides an opportunity for communities to amplify their various innovations at the grassroots level in a bid to influence desired change.  

Voices for Just Climate Action brings together global and local voices to effect climate action through the co-creation of locally relevant and fundamental climate solutions. Muungano wa Wanavijij, supported by SDI-Kenya brings its vast experience in building the voice of slum dweller communities with a particular focus on amplifying collective community voices for just climate action. To achieve this, the Kenyan federation of slum dwellers has leveraged on its practices to create momentum on the climate change agenda at the grassroots level.

Through its Know Your City campaign, the federation tailored and designed a tool useful in identifying community groups supporting various actions geared towards addressing climate change in a bid to amplify these various innovations and review prospective innovations that can notably be supported on a larger scale. A total of 426 groups across three regions; Naivasha, Kisumu and Nairobi were profiled. 117 active groups were further assessed revealing most community groups were managing various climate adaptation initiatives. In its efforts to further amplify community voices on climate change and eventually boost the sensitization at the grass root level, Muungano Wa Wanavijiji organized series of dialogues around climate change with local residents in Nakuru, Nairobi and Kisumu.

In its pursuit to further consolidate information and create systems of knowledge information vital to inform a united voice of the urban poor, Muungano wa Wanavijiji supported by SDI-Kenya rolled out a climate change vulnerability mapping in 8 wards in Naivasha. These included Olkaria Ward, Viwandani Ward, Hell’s Gate ward, Biashara Ward, Mai Mahiu Ward, Lake View Ward, Maiela Ward and Naivasha East Ward. 

The information gathering activity aimed to understand the impacts of climate change and natural disasters on communities, the residents’ level of preparedness and the various adaptation interventions taken up. Through the process, communities can harvest pivotal information for advocacy as well as contributions towards development decisions and prioritization of actions.

During the five-day data collection process, 541 questionnaires were administered using the ODK tool at the household level. In the context of the observed climate change, the tool aimed to assess the context of the resident’s vulnerability to the effects of climate change including understanding some of the coping strategies adopted.

Community co-researchers spearheaded the community-driven data collection process. The team administered the questionnaires at the household level while utilizing maps to identify the specific settlements and the scope of the hazards experienced in the respective wards.

Community focus group discussions were also conducted to further gain reflections from community co-researchers on their experiences throughout the process and discuss collectively some of the issues arising from the process held.

 Understanding vulnerability at the grassroots level.

Community residents face particularly high risk from the impacts of climate change and natural disasters. Some of the most prevalent natural disasters experienced include flooding, landslides, low farm yields, fires and intense heat. Disasters such as these disrupt the lives of most residents.

In cases of floods, residents are often subjected to a state of forced inertia in a bid to secure their assets and livelihood. Streets are gradually converted to streams and many are unable to access work hence disrupting the economic activities of residents. Floods have also affected the well-being of school-going children as it renders schools inaccessible, impacting their education progress and increasing the rate of school dropouts.

Earlier in March 2020, over 10,000 residents in Kihoto settlement, in Lake View Ward, were affected by floods. The area County Government stepped in to provide relief to the affected residents however, the process was marred by corruption and less support was issued to the actual affected residents.

Droughts have taken a toll on food production severely reducing food security as food prices emerge inflated beyond the means of most residents. Some residents in various wards responded to have previously received food aid from the government in cases of drought such as in Ndabibi sub-location although the action emerged trivial as demand for more relief persisted.

 “The human race does not give the universe a choice on what to deliver. Instead, what we do or give is exactly what we get back in better or worse conditions. In short, what we reap is what we sow. If we keep on doing what we are doing, then we are going to keep getting what we are getting at a rather catastrophic level.

The climate crisis continues to threaten the world thus a red flag for humanity. But those most affected are countries in Africa. Kenya being in the picture is set ablaze in an unquenchable burn that tears through it like wildfire. The weather is becoming erratic.

Unpredictable weather patterns are a major hit causing reduction in agricultural productivity. Farmers are in a dilemma as they are uncertain about what quantity their farms will produce. Their agricultural productivity is at its edge causing more losses than profits giving them second thoughts on whether to continue with what they do best or look for other jobs. Agriculture, is what sustains them but now, they can’t rely on it.

Due to this climate crisis, as agricultural productivity reduces so does the economic rates take a higher pitch. Food prices have had a massive acceleration rate which has sent the citizens to protest in the streets and on social media with the caption #LowerFoodPrices #Njaarevolution. Millions can barely afford to put food on the table daily and this seems to be a secondary issue for our political leaders who are spending millions of shillings on their own political agendas.

Farmers are advised not to give up on their practices but to learn how to cope with the changes. Instead of mono-cropping, they are advised to practice mixed farming which may include both edible and indigenous crops. And they are encouraged to practice drip irrigation, a method which will require less water usage.

Planting more and cutting less is the only solution towards saving trees and gradually address climate change.

The government should consider lowering food prices as not every one can afford the high cost of living. This has resulted to people impersonating themselves as beggars to get something to eat. People are complaining of no jobs and no money. How are we supposed to cope with the rising cost of living? Is the question lingering in minds of most Kenyans.

Let’s not lose more than what we have already lost. Give the world the best and the best will gladly come back to you. We do not expect our generations to see the catastrophic impacts of Climate Change. Let’s restore nature” Patricia Songoro, KYCTV Naivasha.

 The community has adopted various strategies to respond to natural disasters such as storing more food for future use however, households continue to be extremely vulnerable to food insecurity with the situation worsening during the periods of disasters.

Moreover, residents commonly have access to firewood, and charcoal to meet their energy needs with few strides being made to transition from the massive wood-fuel dependency. These energy options are widely embraced by households as they are readily affordable, however, these energy options pose increasing strains on already marginal households health-wise, not to mention the harm posed to the environment.  

The rising water levels have also had a great impact on land owners as well as the on residents who depend on fishing as their primary economic activity.

In addition, communities continue to grapple with the lack of proper waste disposal mechanisms posing various health risks to residents. Other disasters such as the presence of strong winds are linked to the distraction of property and increased cases of respiratory diseases such as chest complications, asthma and eye problems.

The survey revealed most residents are unprepared in cases of disasters and other adverse situations however, households primarily attempt to mitigate natural disasters and environmental hazards by planting trees and creating awareness of natural disasters. A portion of residents in Lake View Ward surveyed responded they were somewhat prepared to respond to the emerging disaster owing to their accumulated savings. By providing access to emergency funds, savings give households the financial means required to respond to emerging disasters without also cutting back on vital household expenditures.

 

Link to the Ward Committees. 

Kenya’s 2010 constitution foresaw the introduction of governing structures namely the National government and the introduction of 47 County Governments. This governing structure was aimed at ensuring proper allocation of resources that will foster socio-economic development both at the national and county level. Since the 2010 promulgation, we’ve seen various improvements initiated on infrastructure as a result of devolution.

In 2021 government of Kenya introduced County Climate Change Fund where the county governments will be able to create, access and use climate funding from various sources to help in building community resilience and vulnerability reduction.

Muungano Wa Wanavijiji is currently supporting Nakuru County government in forming their respective climate change ward committees. The vulnerability mapping rolled out by Muungano Wa Wanavijiji is a vital step towards the formation of these committees as this community led-data collection exercise provides vital information to committees including information that can guide the prioritization of tangible actions to aid build communities’ resilience to climate change. The ward committees will also aid in ensuring active community participation in climate change discussions and actions as well as support in preparing community members for disaster management. 

The ward committee will further ensure the county climate resilience fund trickle down openly and fairly which will aid to address conflicts that may arise in the future. The climate change resilience fund can facilitate counties to access and utilize climate finance from different sources to build communities' resilience and reduce vulnerabilities to a changing climate in a more efficient way.

The remaining 46 county governments should consider working closely with Muungano due to its experience in data collection that helps in informing the formation of climate change ward committees by encouraging direct public participation.