Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB) Climate Change Governance Project
Climate change threatens Kenya’s economic growth and endangers Kenya becoming a prosperous country with a high quality of life for all. Kenya is vulnerable to climate change since the key drivers of the economy (agriculture, livestock, tourism, forestry, and fisheries) are climate-sensitive. This is coupled with the country’s low adaptive capacity to climate change, leading to high levels of vulnerability. Currently Climate Change is affecting the livelihoods of millions of people and it is foreseen to affect the livelihoods of future generations if immediate action to mitigate it is not taken. The greenhouse gas emissions resulting from anthropogenic factors are exacerbating climate change and these emissions continue to rise. They are now at their highest levels in history. To address this challenge there is need for different counties to put in place plans/ strategies and policies to carb climate change since different counties are affected differently depending on their contexts.
The impact of climate change over the next decades has the potential to reverse much of the progress made towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Vision 2030. It also poses a serious challenge to Kenya’s social and economic development. This change will lead to major challenges in the economy, human life and on the environment.
It is against this backdrop that the Adaptation Consortium (ADA consortium) is implementing a Lake Region Economic Block (LREB) climate change project funded by DFID’s Deepening Democracy Program (DDP) through DAI. The 15 months program is implemented in six counties of LREB; Kisumu, Vihiga, Nandi, Kakamega, Bomet and Kisii. Christian Aid is the leading agency and grant holder within the ADA consortium in the implementation of this project. Christian aid is also working with local partners at the county level to establish County Climate Change Fund mechanism in six counties and Lifeskills Promoters is the implementing partner working in Kisii and Bomet counties.
LREB IN BOMET & KISII COUNTIES:
Lifeskills Promoters started the Lake Region Economic Block (LREB) Climate Change Governance project in Bomet and Kisii Counties in February 2019. The overall objective of the program was to build the necessary capacity of LREB Counties and local institutions to scale out County Climate Change Fund (CCCF) mechanism. It also aims at supporting county governments mainstream climate change in planning and implementation as well as prepares them to access climate finance in support of adaptation and climate resilient development.
In Kisii County the climate change awareness is still low hence the need for sensitization of both state, non-state actors and the county assembly as well. The county also has a limited number of county stakeholders in climate change though it is trying to open engagement space.
The risk observed in the county is the limited number of county stakeholders in climate change which may affect project implementation and low climate change awareness to both the state and non-state actors. The LREB project has managed to navigate the contextual factors through helping the county map relevant stakeholders that can add value to climate change process and awareness. It has also contributed to creating climate change awareness through ward sensitization, stakeholders meeting, meeting with county planners and technical staff, county assembly meeting and radio talk show.
Bomet County, like Kisii County, has also put in place an institutional and a draft climate change policy structure that creates an opportunity for LREB Climate Change Governance project implementation. Low Climate awareness is one of the greatest challenges in Bomet County. To bridge this gap, the LREB Climate Change governance project has played a key role in sensitizing the people through ward level sensitization and radio talk shows where Climate Change Fund Mechanism has also been emphasized as a solution to help the county tap into climate change funds to adapt to climate change issues.