Just Resilience in Kenya: Frameworks and Perspectives for Equitable Climate Adaptation

Abstract: The lived realities of many rural communities, and even the urban poor in Kenya, are characterised by poverty, inequality, high dependence on natural resources, rainfed agriculture, and sociocultural norms that influence their action or inaction. Recurrent droughts, floods, and changing rainfall patterns, largely caused by climate change and climate variability, further reinforce these communities' challenges. The impacts of climate change are especially acute in the agriculture, water, health, and infrastructure sectors of the economy, with the most vulnerable groups being the rural population, the urban poor, women and children, indigenous communities, and pastoral communities. In Kenya, several adaptation projects have been initiated to assist these groups in coping with the adverse effects of climate change. These programs include the Financing Locally-Led Climate Action program and the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project. Most of these adaptation projects strive to help communities withstand and adapt to climate change impacts while ensuring fairness, equity, and inclusion in adaptation processes and outcomes, that is, ensuring justice in adaptation, otherwise known as Just Resilience. However, several barriers have hindered the integration of Just Resilience into these projects from the outset. Notable barriers include financial constraints, governance issues such as corruption, lack of inclusive participation, and reliance on external funding that may not align with local priorities. These barriers can result in neglecting equity in adaptation interventions, leading to maladaptation and reinforcing existing inequalities, particularly among vulnerable groups. This report presents an outlook on Just Resilience in Kenya and interrogates some of these issues in adaptation projects. It then offers opportunities that exist for Kenya if adaptation is to be just. The discussion also includes perspectives from stakeholders from different sectors in the country.