Enhancing and Scaling up Climate Adaptation for Resilient Infrastructure

National Road Map Dissemination Workshop

Led by the University of Nairobi and the Global Center on Adaptation, this workshop aims to facilitate cross-sectoral dialogue on embedding climate adaptation solutions into Kenya’s national infrastructure planning and to identify pathways for integrating climate adaptation strategies identified through the National Roadmap for Climate Resilient Infrastructure.

Event description

CONTEXT 
Kenya’s infrastructure is a cornerstone of national development, supporting economic growth, service delivery, and social well-being. However, the increasing frequency and intensity of climate-related hazards—including floods, droughts, high temperatures, and landslides—pose significant threats to the sustainability and functionality of infrastructure systems.  

Despite rising climate risks, adaptation remains severely underfunded. Kenya will require $6.2 billion annually until 2030 to meet its climate action needs. Moreover, only 12% of climate finance in 2018 was allocated to adaptation, compared to 79% directed towards mitigation. This imbalance highlights the need for strategic decision-making in infrastructure planning to ensure infrastructure investments are climate-resilient, cost-effective, and aligned with national priorities. 

To address these challenges, the National Roadmap for Enhancing and Scaling Up Climate Adaptation for Resilient Infrastructure has been developed through a collaboration between the University of Nairobi and the Global Center on Adaptation under the African Adaptation Acceleration Program. This roadmap aims to provide a structured framework for integrating climate resilience into national infrastructure planning, emphasizing risk-informed investments, capacity-building, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and data-driven decision-making. 

In collaboration with the Government of Kenya and key national stakeholders, the University of Nairobi developed and deployed advanced geospatial tools to pinpoint climate risk for Kenya’s infrastructure systems in four sectors (transport, energy, water, and information communication and technology) and develop an evidence-based portfolio of adaptation solutions to build systemic resilience. The roadmap was developed through extensive multi-sectoral consultations, which were central to the study. Participatory stakeholder engagement that included over 54 individuals 26 across 21 agencies, ministries and organizations have contributed to the evaluation of adaptation priorities and defined actions for adaptation that align with national policies such as the Kenya Vision 2030, and Kenya’s National Adaptation Plan. 

As part of this initiative, this one-day Stakeholders dissemination workshop will serve to discuss ways and challenges for mainstreaming the Road Map, as a crucial step toward fostering evidence-informed and concrete actions for climate resilient infrastructure in Kenya. 

OBJECTIVE 
This workshop convenes key stakeholders, including policymakers, infrastructure experts, and field practitioners, to drive collective action for climate resilient infrastructure development in Kenya. 
Participants are invited to advance discussion on embedding climate resilience into infrastructure planning and share insights into Kenya’s national adaptation strategies. The workshop will contribute to strengthening national ownership on climate adaptation action and enabling greater alignment between adaptation planning and national development objectives. Overall, it will serve as a platform to: 

• Present key findings of the National Roadmap for Climate Resilient Infrastructure, outlining strategic priorities for integrating climate adaptation into infrastructure development.
• Foster dialogue on sector-specific adaptation challenges and solutions, ensuring that climate resilience is mainstreamed in infrastructure planning.
  Strengthen national ownership and policy alignment of identified adaptation strategies.
• Identify pathways to embed and mainstream identified adaptation solutions into infrastructure planning and development.