Kiambu County directorate of Renewable Energy and climate has conducted a sensitisation event on the Financing Locally Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) Programme.
The sensitisation programme involved Sub- County and ward administrators who were sensitised on anticipatory climate risk assessment and climate action planning.
FLLoCA programme, which is funded by the World Bank together with Denmark and Sweden, aims at scaling-up climate action at the grassroot level through a devolved climate finance model which supports joint partnerships between government and citizens, to develop and implement solutions geared towards addressing climate change.
The five-year programme approved by the World Bank on October 26, 2021 has since attracted commitments totaling 150 million US dollars.
Kiambu Water, Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources County Executive Committee Member (CECM) David Kuria who led the sensatisation programme said the programme’s main goal is to increase the county’s capacity to respond to climate challenges while implementing locally driven initiatives for climate resilience.
“The initiative will concentrate on capitalizing the Development Partners and County Climate Change Funds, developing county capacity for planning, budgeting, reporting, and implementing local climate measures,” Kuria noted
The CECM added that the initiative will be executed in partnership with county governments and the national government to provide an opportunity to strengthen the national government’s capacity to support County Governments’ actions on climate change, and facilitate national oversight of the Program
“Here citizen engagement is recognised because locally-led adaptation can be more effective than top-down interventions, as local communities are more aware of the context and what is needed to drive change” cited the environment CECM
He further added that ninety percent of the pilot programme funded from FLLoCA will be spent at county and community levels to ensure that support for climate resilience reaches those most at risk, including women, youth, persons with disabilities, elders, and other traditionally marginalized groups.
The effort aims to reach all 47 counties in Kenya, identifying which climate issues and projects to prioritise and provide supplementary funding to help local governments and communities boost their resilience to climate change impacts, Kuria stated.
By Grace Naishoo
