Kenya is undertaking a National Assessment of Loss and Damage to strengthen evidence-based planning and enhance the country’s response to climate change impacts. This marks a historic milestone: Kenya is the first country in Africa and the second globally to secure dedicated technical assistance from the Santiago Network under the UNFCCC Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage.
The milestone was announced during the 64th Sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies in Bonn, Germany, where Kenya confirmed approximately USD 700,000 in technical assistance for the assessment. The initiative is hosted by the Climate Change Directorate under the State Department for Environment and Climate Change.
The assessment will examine economic and non-economic losses and damages experienced between 2015 and 2025 and develop projections through 2035. It covers all 47 counties and key sectors including agriculture, livestock, water resources, health, infrastructure, tourism, human settlements, biodiversity, and cultural heritage.
The work will pay particular attention to differentiated impacts on women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, older persons, and persons with disabilities. It builds on previous CCD assessments of rising water levels in the Rift Valley Lakes and the Lake Victoria Basin.
Key outputs will include a National Loss and Damage Assessment Report, county-level profiles, future climate impact scenarios to 2035, and actionable recommendations for resilience-building, adaptation planning, and investment.
The initiative aligns with Kenya Vision 2030, the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, the Fourth Medium-Term Plan 2023–2027, Kenya’s Nationally Determined Contributions, and NCCAP III.