Living with rivers water-sensitive planning for flood-prone settlements along the Nairobi Rivers

In Nairobi, urban rivers and informal settlements are two parts of the same story. Rapid urbanisation and lack of adequate planning have resulted in more than 60% of the low-income urban population living in informal settlements located in ecologically sensitive and hazard-prone areas along the Nairobi rivers, characterised by substandard structures, limited access to basic services and insecure land tenure. Annual flooding exacerbated by climate change, pollution and lack of sanitation and drainage are everyday experiences in the settlements, resulting in loss of housing, forced displacements, disrupted access to homes, damaged infrastructure, and exposure to livelihood risks. The urban rivers, central to the city’s identity and ecology, are a source of hazards for the settlements, and undermine people’s right to safe housing. This highlights an intersection between climate, housing and urban inequality, raising questions about how cities can plan and upgrade settlements in high-risk riparian areas, while upholding the right to adequate, safe and resilient housing. A lot of attention and effort have been concentrated on rehabilitating the Nairobi rivers, from grassroots level to government initiatives. The issue is complex and requires multi-stakeholder, multi-scalar interventions that place housing access, safety and resilience at the centre of the river regeneration efforts. This networking session brings together expert thinkers and practitioners working in the climate-housing-inequality nexus along the Nairobi Rivers, creating a platform to strengthen networks and share knowledge and practices. A unique panel of actors from different perspectives will share best practices, ranging from community groups who work in their neighbourhood to organise river clean-ups, civil society organisations who support with nature-based flood solutions, mapping of local river systems, government actors who coordinate city-level efforts, and thinkers who bring lessons from the Nairobi case to a global stage. Common for all the actors is that they work towards the same goal: to rehabilitate the Nairobi rivers and contribute to safe and resilient settlements. Participants and panellists will have the opportunity to engage during the session, through a combination of presentations, audience discussions prompted by the moderator, and a Q&A session. A central element is for panellists and participants to share lessons learned, build new connections and discuss ways forward