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Kenya Research Briefing

In Kenya, the research found that most citizens had a local understanding of climate change. They did not have a sense that the climate is changing in the world beyond their immediate environment, despite observing local weather changes to do with temperature and rainfall. 

Kenya research briefingYou can read the Research Briefing in full here.

Initial insights emerging from the Kenya research include:

  • Many Kenyans feel that the weather is changing because of deforestation and localised pollution
  • Many see tree-planting as the best way to counteract the impacts of climate change
  • Current climate language and terminology fails most Kenyans.

As climate change continues, Kenya will experience widespread crop failure, loss of livestock and increased food prices. When this report was written, much of the country was suffering severe drought and food shortages. 

One woman from Isiolo said: "We have not had enough rain for the last four years. The animals begin to get diseases related to famine and die."

According to work by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), climate change is already leading to large numbers of displaced people and conflict over water.

Kenyan government officials and policy-makers who participated in this research are relatively well informed. They recognise that the natural environment has been degraded and people must adapt to survive.

Climate change needs to be explained to people in a way that is relevant to their everyday lives. Rural community leaders are in the best position to help people adapt, but also the least informed.