Climate Change Action in the Water Sector in Kenya: Status Review

Global NDC Implementation Partners (GNIplus)

Download

Abstract: The climate is changing and will continue to change affecting many aspects of human society and the natural world. Climate change is impacting global water resources by affecting their availability,quantity and quality for human and wildlife use. These impacts are further exacerbated by a variety of anthropogenic factors including the mismanagement of water regulation and withdrawal systems,surface and ground water contamination,as well as land-use changes. Hydrological changes induced by climate change will result in major risks for society both directly and indirectly,impacting economic development,food security,energy production and exacerbating social inequality. Currently,around one million plants and animal species are facing extinction. Freshwater species have suffered the greatest decline,falling by 84% since 1970. Humans are also affected: around four billion people currently experience severe water scarcity for at least one month per year,a situation that has been worsened by the climate change crisis. Climate change also generates additional risks to water-related infrastructure such as damaged sanitation systems and sewer pumping stations causing severe health hazards. Climate change projections on water resources indicate that most African countries,including Kenya,will suffer from water scarcity. Water scarcity is also caused and aggravated by population densities,increasing urbanisation and manufacturing. In Kenya,the impacts of climate change on water resources have affected nearly all sectors including,among others,agriculture through unpredictable rainfall patterns,human health through water-borne diseases during flooding,as well as trade through destruction of road and telecommunication infrastructure. Therefore,investment is needed for new water infrastructure and for the maintenance and upgrading of existing infrastructure to improve their efficiency and climate resilience. Furthermore,various water-related climate change investments can provide co-benefits such as job creation,improved public health,reduced poverty,and enhanced livelihoods. Water can also support efforts to mitigate climate change through sequestering carbon in biomass and soils.