The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), along with Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), has awarded small grants to 15 youth-led organizations across Africa which will help replicate climate adaptation training on national and local levels. This initiative builds on the success of the 2025 Youth Academy on Adaptation and Leadership, which brought together young leaders from over 50 countries to improve their skills in adaptation planning and community resilience. In this follow-up phase, GCA and MMUST aim to turn knowledge into action. They want to enable youth organizations to design and deliver locally led climate solutions within their communities.
At Kijani Resilience, we are delighted to be one of the selected organizations to receive this grant. We endeavour to apply this grant to hold a training on urban climate adaptation for Kenyan youth this month. The training will focus on three key thematic areas: Ecosystem Restoration, Urban Agriculture, and Waste Management. It aims to provide participants with practical skills for leading sustainable adaptation initiatives in urban areas. By localizing GCA’s Adaptation Training Toolkit, Kijani Resilience hopes to enhance youth capacity to create community-driven solutions that address Kenya’s unique urban climate challenges.
Kenya’s urban population is growing fast. By 2050, about half of Kenya’s population is projected to be living in urban areas. Youth living in rapidly urbanizing areas face dual challenges such as escalating climate risks and high unemployment rates. At the same time, cities are underprepared for climate shocks such as flooding, heatwaves, and infrastructure stress challenges that demand local, skilled responses. Yet, the green economy presents a major opportunity. According to UN/UNEP, climate adaptation and mitigation efforts could generate millions of jobs globally by 2030, particularly in urban infrastructure, water management, renewable energy, and nature-based solutions.
Kijani Resilience seeks to address this opportunity gap by replicating a climate adaptation training program focused specifically on urban youth empowering them with knowledge, hands-on experience, and direct pathways to adaptation related employment or entrepreneurship. We invite interested youth to participate in this exciting opportunity to learn, connect, and lead in urban climate action. Registration for the training is now open here.
