A Multi- Stakeholder Analysis of the Interaction Between Water Availability and Access, Climate Change and Large-scale Infrastructural Development in Lamu, Kenya

Abstract

Climate change is altering the global water cycle and directly influencing our availability of and access to water. The threats of climate change and the relationship with large scale infrastructural development are examined for Lamu County, Kenya. The study investigated the capacity of the community in Lamu to deal with the additional impacts of climate change and large-scale infrastructural development on declining freshwater sources. In this context, climate change impacts are evaluated by examining trends in temperature and rainfall over time. This is related to changes in freshwater access and availability. The study then determines the needs of stakeholders, penultimately evaluating the capacity of Kenya’s policy provisions to integrate climate change and large scale infrastructural development in local freshwater management. Finally, the study recommends participatory-based policy options for integrated water resources management under climate change. The study utilised a mixed methods research design with the specific approach being a sequential explanatory design, whereby qualitative and quantitative data were collected at different phases during the course of the study. Quantitative instruments included a household survey and climate data from the Kenya Meteorological Department, while qualitative data included focus group discussions, key informant interviews and group decision making: nominal group technique. The findings showed trends in climate variables that are consistent with global climate change predictions, confirming projections that land areas in equatorial countries including Kenya, may warm by the year 2050 by as much as 1.4O C. Results from the study also indicate that climate variables are negatively impacting water access and availability in Lamu. This includes a reduction in freshwater supplies and increased salinity in reservoirs. This in turn is causing the community to make substantial changes in livelihoods. The study deduced that these impacts are not captured within the policy process informing major infrastructural development. Thus, the study recommends that the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process in Kenya is restructured to apply an integrated resources water management approach in informing the licencing of infrastructural development projects. The study further identified the potential for EIAs to mainstream climate change, recommending a mainstreaming approach in EIAs to ensure that they effectively incorporate climate change impacts in the assessment process.