Kenya
While cyclical droughts continue to threaten the lives and livelihoods of many people in Kenya, a coordinated response from the Government of Kenya and international actors is building resilience to recurrent crises.
Overview
Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), home to over 10 million people and over 70% of Kenya’s landmass, face recurrent droughts, conflict and a lack of investment. Since the 2011 drought, the Government of Kenya and international donors have coordinated efforts to increase the resilience of those living in drought-prone areas. Evidence shows that the depth and cost of food insecurity during severe droughts has decreased, demonstrating an increase in resilience.
The foundation for a country-led effort to build resilience to recurrent crises has involved:
- The Government of Kenya’s Ending Drought Emergencies initiative.
- Establishment of a National Drought Management Authority.
- Devolution of authorities and resources to county-level governments.
- Coordination that unites USAID implementing partners, national and subnational government actors, Kenyan institutions and other donors to leverage resources for resilience and economic growth activities built on community-identified strengths and priorities.
Risk Environment
Recurrent droughts, increasing rainfall variability and rising temperatures threaten lives and livelihoods in Kenya’s ASALs. These shocks and stresses cost the Kenyan economy billions of dollars in losses in the livestock sector and beyond. Responding to these recurrent crises with life-saving humanitarian assistance is also extremely costly.
Although agriculture is the country’s main economic driver, growth in the agriculture sector has stagnated in recent years, during which time the country has become hotter and drier. Households in the ASALs in northern Kenya are particularly vulnerable to recurrent drought and have suffered from conflict, a legacy of marginalization and a lack of investment.
Resilience Approaches
Following the historic drought in 2011, the Government of Kenya, USAID and other donors committed to making long-term investments to address the underlying causes of these recurrent crises and to respond earlier and more effectively when they do occur. The Government of Kenya launched and committed $1.6 billion to its Ending Drought Emergencies strategy, which was matched by $1.5 billion from other donors, including USAID.
Since 2011, a number of activities have likely contributed to greater resilience, such as:
- Forward-leaning drought cycle management.
- Increased private sector investment.
- Increased access to finance.
- Devolution of authority and resources to counties.
- The establishment of the cross-ministerial National Drought Management Authority.
- A common programming framework that aligned investment from donors and the Government of Kenya.
Opportunities for Strengthening Resilience
Evidence suggests that Kenya was more resilient in 2023 than it was in 2011. The severe drought of 2021-2023, however, demonstrates the imperative to continue resilience-strengthening efforts in Kenya’s ASALs that reduce poverty and malnutrition, increase diversification of livelihoods and build resilience. Opportunities include:
- Improving gender equality and women’s empowerment significantly.
- Focusing on ongoing, locally led development driven by local priorities, knowledge and aspirations.
- Improving health and nutrition.
- Advancing water security for social, economic and environmental needs.
- Catalyzing economic growth opportunities for youth.
- Creating and expanding markets and jobs.
- Increasing climate resilience by integrating climate adaptation across sectors and initiatives.
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