Building Resilience at the Intersection of Climate, Infrastructure, and Child Protection in Kenya

Abstract

Executive summary

The lives of millions of children around the world are being affected by the climate crisis. Geography does not protect against climate change; it is affecting children everywhere, even in high-income countries, and the world is not doing nearly enough to protect them. In the last five years, Kenya has been highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including more frequent and intense droughts and floods. These events disproportionately affect children, who are more susceptible to the resulting health, safety, and well-being risks. This brief clearly demonstrates how climate-related disasters, combined with underdeveloped or damaged infrastructure, erode child protection systems and exacerbate vulnerabilities. It argues that for a multispectral and child-centered approach to climate change and resilience, advocating for policies that integrate climate action, infrastructure development, child protection policies, and frameworks to safeguard the rights and future of Kenya’s children.