Nairobi Needs a Raincoat, Not a Disco: Why the City is Dancing with Disaster

Remember that time you woke up to find your houseboat parked in your living room? That's Nairobi after every other rainy season these days. Climate change is not waiting for a Netflix documentary. The recent floods in Nairobi should ring a loud and clear bell for our policymakers. Climate change is no longer a distant threat; it's a present reality and East Africa is the sweet spot for climate change events. Floods and droughts are becoming common, recurring, and severe in magnitude. Admittedly, floods in Nairobi are not a unique, alien and divorced phenomenon, they are common and the UN reports the current flooding in the nation has displaced over 40,000 people.

A majority of Nairobi's residents, even those in affluent areas, will be exposed to its impacts. The current approach to urban planning, spearheaded by the governor, is demonstrably failing. It's ad-hoc, reactive, and driven by short-term needs and political gain. This complete neglect of long-term sustainability is putting the entire city at risk. Data, not gut feeling, should be the cornerstone of urban planning. We need to move away from flashy projects that prioritize aesthetics over function and embrace a data-driven approach. This information, on climate risks, population density, and land use, is crucial for informing effective planning strategies.

The unequal impact of climate change is undeniable. Poor households in informal settlements, often located on the periphery with inadequate drainage and water supply, will bear the brunt of the burden. However, the cascading effects of these issues, like overwhelmed drainage systems, can also impact affluent areas. No one is immune. Climate change is here to stay, but that doesn't mean we're powerless. We can anticipate, adapt, and transform. However, without proper and robust resilient planning, even those with resources will be severely affected.

The governor's focus on building houses, while important, misses a crucial point. Even vertical housing needs to consider sun positioning. The direction windows face significantly impacts how much heat a house absorbs. Similarly, instead of a disco nightclub near Uhuru Gardens' greenery, planting more trees would be far more beneficial for carbon sequestration. His current approach is akin to watering a rabbit hole, making it easier for Nairobi to slide into oblivion.

We need a clear, comprehensive, and robust risk assessment to identify vulnerable areas within Nairobi. Disaggregated data on vulnerability levels across the city is essential to understand who and why they are susceptible. Clear and enforceable laws are needed to dictate where construction can and cannot occur. These decisions should be based on land structure, population density, resource availability, and a multitude of intersecting factors.

The Solutions

• A shift towards ethical and people-centred planning that prioritizes long-term sustainability and the needs of all residents, not just political agendas.
• Embracing data-driven decision making that utilizes data on climate risks, population density, and land use to inform planning strategies.
• Investing in robust risk assessments to identify areas most vulnerable to flooding and other climate threats.
• Developing clear building regulations that restrict construction in high-risk zones and mandate sustainable building practices.
• Promoting green infrastructure by increasing tree cover, creating green spaces, and improving drainage systems to mitigate urban heat and flooding.

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