Climate Risks, Vulnerability and Governance in Kenya: A review

Kenya is highly vulnerable to climate risks, particularly droughts and floods, which create a long-term fiscal liability estimated at 2.0 to 2.4 per cent of GDP annually. The report identifies critical dependencies in the agricultural, water, and energy sectors, noting that 98 per cent of crop production is rain-fed and over half of electricity is generated by hydropower. While the government has established frameworks like Vision 2030 and the National Climate Change Response Strategy, the report finds that disaster risk management remains largely reactive and uncoordinated, with significant capacity gaps at the subnational level. It recommends deeper research into sector-specific vulnerabilities, the 'climate proofing' of infrastructure and budgets, and the integration of gender-disaggregated data into planning.

• Kenya is among the most disaster-prone countries globally, with major droughts occurring approximately every 10 years and moderate droughts or floods every three to four years.
• Climate-related disasters impose a significant economic burden, with floods and droughts creating a long-term fiscal liability estimated between 2.0 and 2.4 per cent of GDP annually.
• Observed temperatures in Kenya have risen by 1.0°C since 1960, averaging 0.21°C per decade, and are projected to increase by about 1°C by the 2020s and 4°C by 2100.
• The agricultural sector is extremely vulnerable to climate variability because 98 per cent of crop production is rain-fed.
• Kenya is one of Africa's most water-scarce countries, with water availability projected to drop to 350 cubic metres per person by 2020 based on current population growth.
• The energy sector is highly sensitive to climate risks, as large hydroelectric power stations provide over half of the electricity supply and have become increasingly unreliable due to reduced rainfall.
• Climate change is expected to expand the prevalence of malaria, with projections suggesting the number of people at risk in the highlands could increase by 36 to 89 per cent by the 2050s.
• Women are disproportionately vulnerable to climate impacts due to their roles in managing smallholder farms and the time-intensive nature of collecting fuelwood and water.
• Disaster risk management in Kenya is characterized as being largely reactive and focused on short-term emergency relief rather than comprehensive prevention and preparedness.
• There is a significant gap in climate risk management capacity at the subnational level, as most policy and institutional efforts have been concentrated at the national level.
• The lack of an approved national disaster management policy has hindered the allocation of budgetary resources for proactive disaster risk reduction.
• Kenya faces severe limitations in local weather data, with only 25 official meteorological stations, which is far below World Meteorological Organization recommendations.

APA

Parry, J.-E., Echeverria, D., Dekens, J., & Maitima, J. (2012). Climate Risks, Vulnerability and Governance in Kenya: A review. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/climate_risks_kenya.pdf

Chicago

Parry, Jo-Ellen, Daniella Echeverria, Julie Dekens, and Joseph Maitima. Climate Risks, Vulnerability and Governance in Kenya: A review. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2012. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/climate_risks_kenya.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Parry |first1=Jo-Ellen |last2=Echeverria |first2=Daniella |last3=Dekens |first3=Julie |last4=Maitima |first4=Joseph |title=Climate Risks, Vulnerability and Governance in Kenya: A review |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=November 2012 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/climate_risks_kenya.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{parry2012climate, author = {Parry, Jo-Ellen and Echeverria, Daniella and Dekens, Julie and Maitima, Joseph}, title = {{Climate Risks, Vulnerability and Governance in Kenya: A review}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2012}, month = nov, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/climate_risks_kenya.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }