NEMA secures 1b GCF funding

NEMA has received KSh 1 billion funding agreement from the Green Climate Fund. GCF is a new global fund created to support countries to respond to effects of climate change.  

The project is titled, “Enhancing community resilience and water security in the upper Athi River catchment in Kenya”

The project aims to increase water security and strengthen communities’ resilience to climate change in Kenya’s Upper Athi River Catchment area. This will involve integrated water resources management and investment in water supply infrastructure in four vulnerable Counties-Nairobi, Kiambu, Machakos and Nyandarua Counties for a period of four years.

Interventions include hydrological and meteorological information management, installation and rehabilitation of water infrastructure, and strengthening planning and regulatory frameworks for water resource management.

Kenya has a limited freshwater sources and faces chronic water scarcity and high rainfall variability, which has been worsened by climate change impacts.

The Athi catchment is the least water secure region in the country with most of its tributaries having significantly reduced or dried up. Due to this reduction of fresh surface water, the demand for ground water has increased to meet the rising water demand. It’s estimated that more than one million people will directly benefit from the project.

The agreement was signed in a virtual meeting held on 8^th October 2021 where NEMA Director General Mamo B. Mamo and NIE Coordinator Wangare Kirumba participated.