en

Press Release | Embu County’s Dallas Settlement Launches Green Infrastructure Plan to Tackle Climate Change

Published: 29 Aug 2024
Adaptation
Press Release |  Embu County’s Dallas Settlement Launches Green Infrastructure Plan to Tackle Climate Change

Embu, August 29, 2024- Like many informal settlements in African cities and in Kenya, the residents of Dallas settlement in Embu County, Kenya, face escalating climate change challenges. These include intensified flooding, a rise in weather-related diseases, and degradation of natural assets.

In response, the Dallas ASILI (Adaptation Solutions, Inclusive Locally-led Infrastructures) project was launched following Embu County’s commitment to the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA), an initiative co-financed by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The Dallas ASILI project is a collaborative effort between the Dallas community, Embu County Government, CoM SSA, and the Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI). It focuses on three pillars: developing a Green Infrastructure (GI) Plan, designing Nature-based Solutions (NbS), and involving the community through awareness and capacity-building activities.

 
Today marks the official launch of the Dallas Green Infrastructure Plan, a key initiative within the Dallas ASILI project to address urban flooding and enhance public spaces through Green Infrastructure and nature-based solutions. Developed through a participatory process in partnership with the Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI) and the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA), this plan reflects the collective vision and aspirations of the Dallas community residents. It aligns with the “Dallas Neighborhood Vision,” a roadmap for the settlement's future, created through inclusive workshops and activities that ensured community needs were integrated into the plan.
 
The GI plan’s primary goal is to assist the Embu County Government in addressing urban flooding in Dallas by optimising drainage systems and managing stormwater runoff. By employing nature-based solutions, the plan aims to reduce the risk of flooding and minimise related health hazards. Additionally, it includes proposals to improve safety and accessibility through the creation of green spaces and enhanced connectivity. The plan also outlines recreational spaces designed to support residents' health, well-being, and sense of belonging. Importantly, it is built on a collaborative approach involving the community, landowners, and other stakeholders to implement sustainable practices in the settlement.
 
Kruti Munot, CoM SSA Country Manager for Kenya, highlighted the initiative’s significance: "The Dallas Green Infrastructure Plan is a powerful example of how communities and local governments can work together to address pressing climate challenges, setting a benchmark for other cities in the region. We are eager to see the implementation phase bring these innovative solutions to life.” 
 
Today, this plan is being launched with the community, county, CoM SSA and KDI. The event included a ceremony and speeches from Dallas community members and other stakeholders, raising awareness about the plan and gathering valuable input from the community regarding the proposed projects. Furthermore, KDI has obtained an additional grant to support the continued execution of the plan's nature-based solutions. Collaborative work with the Dallas community and the Embu County Government is set to commence on a pilot site in the upcoming months, marking another significant step toward enhancing the settlement's resilience and improving local livelihoods.
 
Note to editors 
CoM SSA is the regional chapter of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM), the largest global initiative of cities addressing climate and energy challenges. This bottom-up initiative encourages cities to voluntarily set and achieve ambitious yet realistic climate and energy targets. As of 2024, the network includes over 375 cities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Embu County joined the initiative in August 2021.  
 
Since January 2019, the initiative is co-funded by the European Union, the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and the Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID) with a total funding amount of €35.7 M, providing in-depth support to cities in 14 countries, including Kenya. It is jointly implemented by four European Member State Organizations namely GIZ, AECID, AFD and Expertise France.  
 
This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union and the German Federal Ministry. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the German Federal Ministry and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the other co-funders. 
 
Contact us for more information
MUTUANGA Jeremiah
County Government of Embu
Contact : finmanprofessionals@gmail.com / +254 0729801581
 
BALDEON Frida                                                                                                                                                 
CoM SSA Communication Officer                                              
Contact: frida.baldeon@giz.de
 
ORANGA Annelyn
KDI Communication officer
Contact : annelyn@kounkuey.org

Sign up to our newsletter

By filling in this form you are agreeing to the ICLEI Africa Privacy Policy

Please enter your name Please enter a valid name
Please enter your surname Please enter a valid surname
Please enter your city Please enter a valid city
Please enter your country Please enter a valid country
Please enter your email Please enter a valid email address