Kenya has become the first African country and only the second globally to secure $700,000 in technical assistance from the Santiago Network on Loss and Damage, a United Nations-backed mechanism designed to help vulnerable nations address the impacts of climate change. The funding will support a comprehensive nationwide assessment of the economic and non-economic losses caused by climate-related disasters over the past decade, including damage from floods, droughts, crop failures, displacement, and ecosystem degradation. The announcement was made during the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies (SB64) Climate Meetings in Bonn, Germany.
According to KBC Digital and Capital FM Kenya, the technical assistance will help establish a robust evidence base for measuring climate-related losses across sectors and communities. The assessment is expected to quantify both financial costs and non-economic impacts such as loss of livelihoods, cultural heritage, biodiversity, and social well-being. Officials said the findings will inform national planning, climate adaptation policies, and future resource mobilization efforts aimed at strengthening resilience.
The breakthrough comes as African countries intensify calls for climate justice and greater international support for nations disproportionately affected by climate change despite contributing relatively little to global greenhouse gas emissions. Kenya has experienced severe climate shocks in recent years, including prolonged droughts and devastating floods that have disrupted livelihoods, damaged infrastructure, and heightened food insecurity. Climate experts say the inability to accurately measure climate-related losses has historically limited access to targeted financing and compensation mechanisms.
For Kenya, the funding represents a strategic climate-finance milestone that could strengthen its position in future international negotiations and serve as a model for other African nations seeking access to emerging loss-and-damage support mechanisms. Citizen Digital noted that the assessment could improve the country’s ability to attract climate finance, guide investment decisions, and build long-term resilience, while advancing global efforts to create more structured responses to the economic and human costs of climate change.
