Kenya advances to integrate climate action and disaster risk reduction

From 25 to 29 November 2024, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Regional Office for Africa organized two workshops in Nairobi, Kenya for government officials in support of the draft Disaster Risk Management (DRM) strategy currently under development. These workshops supported the new DRM strategy by training government officials on how best to integrate disaster risk reduction into national adaptation plans. 

UNDRR’s workshop on disaster-related and climate change statistics workshop was co-organized by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). The workshop trained participants on the Sendai Framework Monitor Self-Assessment Disaster Data Tool, which uses data to identify areas needing improvement in national-level disaster risk reduction. The workshop also trained on how to tailor national policies to prioritize resources, which will help to make national efforts more efficient. Enhancing Kenya’s risk information systems will ensure reliable up-to-date data is being used for evidence-based decision-making on how best to enhance early action in the face of natural hazards. 

“As high as 70% of our disasters are hydrometeorological nature and this is where our services become critical. To inform disaster responders, intermediaries, and humanitarian agencies. [These statistics are critical] in terms of saving property and saving lives”. – Reginald Mahonga, Environmental Specialist at the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Regional Development of Kenya

UNDRR also collaborated with the Kenya’s National Disaster Operations Centre (NDOC) to lead a workshop on 28 and 29 November 2024. This workshop on “Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Planning” was related to UNDRR’s Comprehensive Risk Management (CRM) approach. 

The workshop was conducted to align and seek synergies between the draft national DRM strategy and the existing National Adaptation Plan, as well as subsequent action plans and coordination mechanisms. It gathered government representatives from the National Environment Management Authority, Kenya Meteorological Department, the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs and the Disaster Response Battalion as well as UN partners UNEP, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). 

The CRM workshop concluded with a roadmap that lays out actions for further aligning and harmonizing of planning and implementation between DRR and CCA. This roadmap includes actions such as creating a detailed landscape analysis of existing policies related to CCA and DRR, and developing a common risk assessment tool based on the draft DRM Strategy and National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) 2023-2027 III.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).