GCA to help build institutional capacity in Kenyan municipalities in partnership with World Bank
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otterdam, the Netherlands, 27th June 2023 – The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) announced today that it is working in partnership with the World Bank to help build institutional capacity in 59 local municipalities in Kenya to improve the delivery and resilience of urban infrastructure and services. The work is part of the nationwide Program-for-Results Financing (PforR) undertaken with the support of the World Bank’s US$350 million Second Kenya Urban Support Program.
It is projected that more than half of the total population of Kenya will be living in urban areas by 2025. Urban communities often bear the brunt of climate change impacts due to their unique vulnerabilities as well as their exposure to climate-related risks and hazards such as floods and droughts. It is estimated that 70% of Kenya’s natural disasters are a consequence of extreme climatic events.
The government of Kenya has recognized rapid urbanization as one of the country’s four key challenges in Kenya Vision 2030 as urban areas do not yet meet the required demand for infrastructure and services due to a lack of structural transformation, poor management, and limited investment.
To help build capacity in local municipalities to meet the demands of rapid urbanization, GCA will provide technical support to:
- Develop risk-informed master plans
- Develop a masterclass on urban resilience for counties and urban governments
- Provide technical support on providing Nature-Based Solutions for urban resilience
This risk-informed master plan, developed in collaboration with a local research institute, will result in enhanced capacity for counties and municipalities in Kenya to link climate data with investment planning and further develop risk-informed master plans.
The masterclass will enhance the capacity of (local and national) government and city officials on urban climate resilience in Kenya through hands-on practical skills development and training on resilience building. It will be developed in collaboration with international urban resilience specialists working with a local partner.
The technical support will identify existing Nature-Based Solutions products for climate-resilient urban infrastructure to develop a county-specific technical solutions catalog. The catalog will provide key sector stakeholders with different urban Nature-Based Solutions to build climate resilience within the scope of large-scale programs.
This project is part of the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP). The AAAP aims to mobilize a total of up to US$25 billion for climate adaptation between 2020 and 2025.
