East Africa’s drought-prone regions could expand by up to 54% by the late 21st century. In Turkana County, where this project is based, 70% of people are pastoralists; for local people, drought can cause displacement, a decline in livestock numbers, and environmental degradation due to overgrazing. It also means that they have to travel larger distances, limiting their contact with education and health facilities. This article seeks to summarise the steps we have taken and how their integral link connects to climate resilience: the biggest risk for the area.
Why climate change matters to Kenya
Published 07.05.25
10 mins read
Egis provided consultancy services for the construction supervision of the 80 km Lodwar–Lokitaung Junction road — part of the Eldoret-Nadapal/Nakodok road corridor (945Km) connecting northwestern Kenya to South Sudan; undertook design and construction supervision of 26 facilities across Turkana and West pokot counties including primary and secondary schools, teacher’s training college, health centres, markets, ICT hub, amenities at Truck park, police post, water and power supply.
As part of this project, we wanted to understand how we could increase resilience for the region and protect the pastoralists' way of life. We believe there are three main ways all projects within a region should seek to support their people by…
- Access to water: Enhancing livelihoods and lives through water
- Access to education: understand current barriers and create new economic opportunities
- Access to healthcare: create what’s needed in the right place to improve healthcare and mortality rates
1. Water Access and Livelihoods
Pastoralists travel long distances with herds of livestock in search of pastures and water for agricultural as well as domestic use. At present, families walk up to 15km to reach a water source in Turkana.
What we have done
Our project has utilised existing and new bore holes to create:
- Future fit infrastructure: Introduced over 32km of water pipelines from drilled boreholes, ensuring all new and existing schools and hospitals in the local area are connected.
- Access to clean water: created 16 new kiosks where water can be accessed, cutting travel time and providing local access to safe drinking water.
- Access for livestock: Introduced over 60 water troughs for livestock through the new pipeline, which is a revolutionary development for pastoralist communities.
- Livestock market for Nadapal town: Created the first economic hub for the region. This hub strengthens trade and mobility across the South Sudan border, with over 3,500 people predicted to access it per month. Here, water has also been connected, with 16 troughs for livestock.
Why is this important for climate change and resilience?
Due to the pastoralist culture, Turkana people rely heavily on regular climatic events, such as annual flooding, to nourish the fertile lands, feed their livestock, and secure their livelihoods. However, increasingly unpredictable climatic events have not only left the economy weaker but have also threatened the pastoralist way of living. In Turkana, this has led to increased temperatures, insect plagues, irregular rainfall, and prolonged droughts, amplifying the already harsh environmental conditions in the county and its surrounding areas.
The new water source can combat ecosystem degradation as the already dry rivers will no longer be needed for livestock hydration. Reducing travel distances will also increase school attendance and access to healthcare, as they will no longer need to travel long distances.
2. Supporting education and new career opportunities
Without access to education, career prospects for East Africans are bleak. In Turkana County, only 39% regularly attend school, with 94% of girls never finishing secondary school.
This project delivers:
- Education for all: Created over 6,000 spaces for children across three primary schools and six secondary schools, with 31% of the provisions being made for girls.
- Buildings for the future: All new buildings have been designed to stay cool, powered by renewable energy, and connected to a water supply. Local materials and contractors were used to create local jobs and reuse any existing materials. The new designs factored in overnight accommodation: an enabler for those pupils whose parents are pastoralists and frequently travel.
- Teacher’s Training: Over 200 teachers now have access to the only teaching college in northern Kenya. Here, they have access to support and training, reducing teacher turnover and improving education for the region.
- Opportunities for all: Education isn’t only important for children! In an abandoned block in Lodwar, an ICT (Information Communication Technology) hub was created, where the community can get access to the internet, learning materials, and become computer literate in a region where only 23% have access to the internet. Government services will also be available online, which enables the remote community to access key documents. It is predicted to be able to serve over 50,000 users per year.
- New commercial centres: As part of the road project, ‘social hubs’ have been established, including amenities at three truck parks for those travelling along the route to Sudan. These will be connected to water and will include the development of over 42 stalls, gate houses, and facilities spurring on local development and aiding cross-border relations.
Why is this important for climate change and resilience?
Education isn’t just about jobs, but being able to navigate reading, writing, and numbers, along with building confidence, skills, and awareness. There is a huge opportunity within the scope of the project to educate the next generation around resilience and climate change, paving the way for the young to cement the legacy of the project.
Educating women in Africa holds significant potential for enhancing climate change adaptation and resilience. Education empowers women with entrepreneurial skills, enabling them to diversify livelihoods and innovate sustainable solutions to climate challenges, such as renewable energy technologies and eco-friendly enterprises.
Only 3.5% of people in Kenya achieved a university degree in 2019. This project aspires to increase this by providing educational opportunities all the way up from primary school age to adulthood. Equipping people with appropriate skills in a newly digital world through the ICT hub. Here, the community can access online courses, educational resources, and interactive tools that empower individuals to become climate champions and agents of change in a region that has so far fallen behind in the digitization of the world.
3. Improving healthcare and mortality rates
Neonatal conditions are still the biggest killer in Kenya, and globally, a woman dies every 2 minutes from preventable causes related to pregnancy or childbirth. According to the Kenya Demographic Health Survey 2014, Turkana County was ranked the third-highest county in maternal mortality rates, experiencing 1,594 maternal deaths/100,000 live births against the national average of 362 deaths/100,000 live births. Many communities go without healthcare or travel up to 50km to reach the nearest facility to access specialist medical care. Nomadic pastoralists are among the hardest to reach populations, and the majority (82%) seek care and rely on public drop-in clinics.
The data further revealed that among the direct causes of maternal deaths, 50% were caused by postpartum haemorrhage, 25% were due to infections, 13% due to Eclampsia, while 6% were caused by obstructed labour. These lives would have been saved through access to quality and affordable family planning, antenatal care, skilled delivery, and postnatal care services. A healthier population not only reduces healthcare costs for individuals and governments but also leads to children attending school more regularly and better academic performance.
This project delivers…
- Healthcare for all: Provided access to healthcare for 130,000 patients annually through six healthcare centres scattered along the A1 road to Sudan. The centres provide access to much-needed medical facilities, pharmacies, and maternity wards. With child mortality rates hitting 1,594 maternal deaths/100,000, the six healthcare centres can contribute to a healthier and thriving population.
- Facility Upgrades: Three healthcare facilities were built upon, improved, and upgraded, one of which previously operated in makeshift tents. This included in-patient wards, accommodation for in-house staff, vital access to water, electricity, and waste removal.
- A healthy and happy workforce: The new facilities have accommodation for staff, pharmacies, labs, and effective wards to treat different patients. Whilst providing staff with a bed at night, the new facilities can also support the pastoralist lifestyle.
Why is it important for climate change resilience?
Improving healthcare and mortality rates in East Africa contributes significantly to climate change resilience and mitigation efforts in the region. Firstly, by strengthening healthcare infrastructure and access to medical services, communities are better equipped to address the health impacts of climate change, such as heatwaves, vector-borne diseases, and malnutrition-related illnesses. Enhanced healthcare systems enable more effective responses to climate-related health emergencies, such as floods and droughts, by ensuring timely medical treatment and emergency services.
Furthermore, improving healthcare and mortality rates promotes sustainable practices and environmental stewardship. By prioritizing preventive healthcare measures, nutrition education, and sanitation improvements, healthcare systems can reduce the incidence of waterborne and foodborne diseases, which are exacerbated by climate-related factors such as extreme weather events and water scarcity.
This project proves that climate resilience isn't just about weather—it's about people. By delivering clean water, quality education, and accessible healthcare, we’ve laid the groundwork for a stronger, healthier, and more adaptable Turkana. As climate challenges grow, so must our commitment to smart, inclusive development that puts communities at the centre of the solution.
Authors.
Amy DickinsonESG Director, Europe and Africa
Oliver PikeESG Manager, Europe and Africa
