Overview

Kenya is located in east Africa, at latitudes of 6°S to 6°N. Located on the Indian Ocean, its climate is tropical, but moderated by diverse topography in the west. Kenya’s topography rises from the coastal plains to the eastern edge of the East African Plateau, and the Great Rift Valley. The central highland regions are substantially cooler than the coast, with the coolest (highest altitude) regions at 15°C compared with 29°C at the coast. Temperatures vary little throughout the year, but drop by around 2 degree in the coolest season. Seasonal rainfall in Kenya is driven mainly by the migration of the Inter‐Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), relatively narrow belt of very low pressure and heavy precipitation that forms near the earth’s equator. The exact position of the ITCZ changes over the course of the year, migrating southwards through Kenya in October to December, and returning northwards in March, April and May. This causes Kenya to experience two distinct wet periods – the ‘short’ rains in October to December and the ‘long’ rains in March to May. The amount of rainfall received in these seasons is generally 50‐200mm per month but varies greatly, exceeding 300mm per month in some localities.

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  • National Communication (NC)

  • Contribute to the ALM: Submit an Assessment

    Final Report

    Implemented as projects, they were/are an opportunity for countries to assess their management capacities and formulate a national capacity development strategy to achieve national and global environmental priorities, to be undertaken in a systematic manner. The NCSAs complement the other capacity development pathways identified in the Strategic Approach document, namely strengthening capacity building elements in GEF projects; targeted capacity building projects, and country specific programmes that address critical capacity needs in Least Developed Countries.

    When completed, a total of 145 countries will have performed an assessment of their national capacities through the NCSA process with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

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    Key Vulnerabilities
    Potential Adaptation Measures

    Agriculture and Food Security

    • Educational & outreach activities to change management practices to those suited to climate change
    • Switch to different cultivars
    • Improve and conserve soils
    • Enhance irrigation efficiency and/or expand irrigation
    • Develop new crops
    • Develop and introduce policy measures, including taxes, subsidies, facilitation of free market

    Water Resources

    • Increase water supply, e.g. by using groundwater, building reservoirs, improving or stabilizing watershed management, desalination
    • Reduce water pollution
    • Improve or develop water management
    • Alter system operating rules, e.g. pricing policies, legislation
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    Contribute to the ALM: Submit an Assessment

    National Capacity Self-Assessment December 11, 2009
    Kenya - National Communication June 19, 2009