An Assessment of Compliance With the Obligation to Mainstream Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in the Execution of County Governments’ Functions

Abstract

Climate change presents a fundamental threat to human health. It affects the physical environment as well as all aspects of both natural and human systems including social and economic conditions and the functioning of health systems. Climate change is an ongoing threat to the world as a whole and every community should ensure that they make attempts, from the bottom going up to adapt to climate change. This study examined how county governments' mainstreaming of climate adaption initiatives is boosting resilience. It examined the governance structure that the Kenyan county governments have put in place for integrating climate change into society. The study argues that if the county governments could mainstream climate adaption initiatives, it would boost resilience at the local levels. This study carried out desk-based research undertaken primarily based on the analysis of existing literature through systematic analysis of the institutional, governmental, and existing legal frameworks for adapting to and mitigating climate change The results from this research demonstrated how important it is to incorporate adaption aspects into decentralized governance activities, such as planning, institution-building, resource allocation, and coordination, in order to scale up local-level climate adaptation. This study has shown that the current policies and regulations are very ineffective and insufficient in addressing climate change concerns. This is because only a small number of parts specifically discuss climate change and mitigation, and these provisions are not solely focused on climate change mitigation. This study therefore gives guidance and shall be momentous in Kenya in enabling county governments to actualize climate change response mechanisms in an effort to meet their obligation to mainstream climate change adaptation strategies in the execution of their functions.