Climate change has adverse impacts on our country’s economic development and threatens the realisation of our Vision 2030 goals of creating a competitive and prosperous nation with a high quality of life. Kenya’s economy is highly dependent on natural resources, meaning that recurring droughts, erratic rainfall patterns and floods will continue to negatively impact livelihoods and community assets.
The Government of Kenya recognizes the threats posed by climate change and has taken action to address them. In this regard, my ministry coordinated the development of the National Climate Change Response Strategy in 2010, and the National Climate
Change Action Plan (NCCAP 2013-2017) in 2012. This National Adaptation Plan (NAP) marks yet another landmark in efforts to address the country’s vulnerability and resilience to climate change.
The NAP was developed through a cooperative and consultative process that included stakeholders from the Government, the private sector, and the civil society; with the support of international development agencies. All of these partners continue to support the implementation of the NAP through the design, financing and implementation of priority actions. Effective implementation of the NAP will be supported through the establishment of enabling governance structures, including those set out in the Climate Change Act, that was enacted into law by His Excellency, the President in May 2016. Additional support and increased partnerships will be required for Kenya to achieve its adaptation goals.
The Government of Kenya is fully committed to addressing climate change domestically, as well as demonstrating leadership in the global fight against climate change. Kenya submitted an ambitious Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). INDCs are anchored in the Paris Agreement as five-year Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) iterative cycles. It is informative that the Paris Agreement, indeed, recognises the role of NDCs and NAPs as the vehicles for delivering on mitigation and adaptation obligations, respectively, under the Agreement. Our INDC reiterates that adaptation is Kenya’s priority response to climate change, and this NAP is the foundation of Kenya’s contribution on adaptation.
This NAP demonstrates Kenya’s commitment to the Paris Agreement, and will help bring to life our critical responses to the impacts of climate change. Building climate resilience in as low carbon a manner as possible will ensure that Kenya contributes to the goals of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Prof. Judi Wakhungu
Cabinet Secretary
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources