Integrating Climate Adaptation, Poverty Reduction, and Environmental Conservation in Kwale County, Kenya

Abstract

AbstractShoreline erosion, flood surges, river sediments, and water pollution are only a few of the common threats to many coastal areas, with extreme climate-related events exacerbating the intensity and urgency of the resulting negative impacts. In addition, some coastal areas are excessively mined for sand, protective mangroves are destroyed, and coastal waters are overfished, affecting the well-being, safety, and livelihoods of local communities. These threats disproportionally affect the poorest and most marginalized groups, including women and children, leading to their increased vulnerability to climate change and adoption of negative coping mechanisms.This chapter proposes an integrated people-centered approach, with a particular focus on women, to address the triple crisis – poverty, climate change, and nature – at the local level. Findings will be shared from a 2-year project implemented in the southernmost coastal region of Kwale County in Kenya, which aimed to achieve beneficial and interconnected social, environmental, and climate outcomes. The chapter discusses findings, successes, and lessons learned from the action and the requirement to position vulnerable groups at the center of initiatives designed to address the triple crisis. Limitations of the study and main recommendations for future programming in similar contexts are also shared.