Adaptive and Inclusive Watershed Management: Assessing policy and institutional support in Kenya
This report explores existing institutional linkages between gender, water and climate change in Kenya.
Climate change is negatively affecting Kenya’s water systems. The degradation of wetlands, changing rainfall patterns, increased severity of drought and floods have serious implications for food security and human health.
In Kenya, women are the main collectors of water for household needs and are extensively engaged in the agriculture sector which is the most intensive user of freshwater resources through irrigation. Although women interact with water on a daily basis, they tend to contribute less than men to decision making in water resource management. Moreover, women are denied equal access to land, technology, credit, and other critical resources essential to cope with the adverse impacts of climate change.
Public policies can challenge socially constructed gender stereotypes and empower women in many sectors, including in the water sector. Through its legislative framework, Kenya has made positive steps towards helping women to be well represented in decision-making structures, formulated requirements for government budgets to support women’s empowerment and made some progress in establishing gender-sensitive monitoring systems. Gender equality is also being considered in relation to climate change through various government mainstreaming efforts.
This research is the result of a desk review of policies and institutions and interviews with stakeholders and experts in Kenya working on issues of water resources management, gender and climate change. These include the Ministry of Water, the National Gender and Equality Commission and the University of Nairobi.
See our similar analysis on Uganda.
Participating experts
You might also be interested in
Adaptive and Inclusive Watershed Management: Assessing policy and institutional support in Uganda
This report looks at how Uganda’s various institutions and policies incorporate climate change and gender considerations into planning, budgeting and monitoring in the water sector.
What Is the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience, and How Can Countries Move It Forward?
With the introduction of the new framework for the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), COP 28 marked a milestone for adaptation. We unpack key outputs and set out how countries can move forward by strengthening their national monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems.
National State of the Environment Report: Uzbekistan
The National State of the Environment Report (NSoER) is a comprehensive document that provides a snapshot of current environmental trends in Uzbekistan's socio-economic development for citizens, experts, and policy-makers in the country of Uzbekistan.
Essential Monitor's Guide for Prairie Water Retention
This guidance document aims to make water retention monitoring a more accessible practice from a technical standpoint by demystifying some of the considerations required to get started.