Press release: Mombasa strengthens climate resilience with a locally driven Flood Management Strategy
Published: 5 Mar 2025
Access to Energy
Adaptation
Mombasa, 4th March 2025 – Mombasa has long battled urban flooding, with extreme weather events disrupting daily life, damaging infrastructure, and affecting vulnerable communities. In response, the County Government of Mombasa (CGM) and the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) launched the Mombasa City Lab in December 2023—a year-long collaborative initiative to develop sustainable solutions to this pressing issue. Today, the initiative has reached a major milestone: the adoption of a Flood Management Strategy, to be institutionalised within the county’s governance framework to ensure long-term impact.
To mark this achievement, the County Government of Mombasa and CoM SSA are co-hosting the closing event of the Mombasa City Lab on 4 March. The initiative, supported by CoM SSA co-implementing partner, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), has provided a participatory platform for experts, government agencies, and communities to co-create solutions rooted in local knowledge. Implemented with support from the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) and MDF Training and Consultancy, the City Lab has undertaken extensive research, grassroots engagement, and participatory decision-making to craft an effective flood response strategy.
Key activities included a Flood Risk and Vulnerability Assessment, providing a data-driven analysis to understand the scale and root causes of urban flooding. Community-led co-creation workshops brought together government representatives, local experts, and community members to design practical interventions, while field visits and focus groups ensured solutions were grounded in real-world experiences.
"Over the past year, the Mombasa City Lab has shown that by bringing together government, communities, and technical experts, we can tackle one of our city’s greatest challenges: urban flooding," said H.E. Francis Thoya, Deputy Governor of Mombasa. "The Flood Management Strategy is a testament to this joint effort, and we invite partners to support its implementation that will make Mombasa more resilient."
Dr. Eric Okuku, Director of KMFRI, highlighted the importance of science-based, community-led approaches. "Through this initiative, we have gained critical insights into flood risk management. Collaborative efforts ensure that decision-making is evidence-based and solutions are locally relevant."
Abel Omanga, Technical Advisor for CoM SSA at GIZ, reinforced Mombasa’s leadership in climate action, stating, "Mombasa’s commitment to climate resilience is clear through the milestones achieved under the City Lab. GIZ and CoM SSA remain committed to supporting the county in implementing and scaling solutions that enhance sustainability and preparedness."
The result of these collaborative efforts is a robust Flood Management Strategy, outlining a portfolio of actionable measures to reduce flood risks. The strategy, shaped by local and national stakeholders, will be institutionalized within Mombasa’s governance structures to maintain local ownership and ensure a coordinated, community-led response to climate-related hazards.
As the City Lab concludes, the focus now shifts to implementing the Flood Management Strategy, ensuring continuous community involvement, and forging long-term partnerships to drive climate resilience. The County Government of Mombasa and CoM SSA call on all stakeholders to continue supporting this critical work and ensure Mombasa remains at the forefront of climate adaptation in the region.
Note to editors.
The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) is an initiative co-financed by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
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 380 cities in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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 Organisations 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
BALDEON Frida
CoM SSA Communication Officer, GIZ
Contact email: frida.baldeon @giz.de
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