Cities Ongoing – Realising A Blue Urban agenda for coastal cities in Kenya through sustainable production and consumption policy and governance

In 2016, at the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, participating governments adopted the New Urban Agenda, which established a new global framework for urban governance and sustainable development. Kenya adopted this framework in 2017 to address the unique challenges and complexities of its urban areas. The Agenda outlined an implementation strategy for the period from 2016 to 2036, identifying eight priority action areas for all cities, one of which was the need to address unsustainable consumption and production patterns.

Cities were responsible for approximately 60 percent of global domestic material consumption of raw materials, including essential resources like sand, gravel, iron ore, coal, and wood. As urban populations were projected to grow significantly until 2050, the demand for these resources was expected to increase correspondingly. Coastal cities, being particularly vulnerable to pollution and degradation from inland areas, faced heightened risks. If this rapid urbanization is not effectively managed, it will lead to severe adverse impacts on the marine and coastal ecosystems essential for food security, poverty alleviation, and the development of the blue economy. Unsustainable consumption and production patterns, such as the destruction of mangrove habitats for urban development, excessive freshwater use, inefficient exploitation of natural resources, and the escalation of domestic and industrial waste—including plastics and sewage—contributed to socio-economic vulnerabilities. Without appropriate measures, these issues could exacerbate environmental pollution, create biodiversity losses, escalate resource scarcities, and perpetuate inequality and poverty.

Recognizing the necessity for coastal cities in Kenya to reduce resource consumption and waste production while enhancing land-use efficiencies, the research proposed a tailored urban agenda termed the Blue Urban Agenda. This agenda sought to confront three central issues linked to unsustainable consumption and production that threaten ocean sustainability: the inefficient management and use of natural resources, ineffective chemical and waste management practices, and the significant problem of food wastage and losses, all of which were highlighted in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goal 12.

The primary objective of the research was to explore how to effectively integrate sustainable consumption and production (SCP) policies within Kenya’s coastal cities and urban areas through the relevant development plans, urban planning frameworks, legislative tools, regulatory structures, investments, and policy decisions at various governance levels. To achieve this, the research analyzed existing global, regional, and national frameworks related to SCP, aiming to uncover policy, legal, and institutional shortcomings and identify potential interventions. The research also aimed to highlight successful practices demonstrating how SCP governance could aid in the development and implementation of the Blue Urban Agenda and determine avenues for replication across the Western Indian Ocean region.

Employing a science-informed and cross-sectoral approach, the research involved active stakeholder engagement in co-creation processes and provided transformative solutions addressing multiple sectors and objectives. It utilized a mixed methodology that incorporated doctrinal and qualitative research methods, encompassing both desktop and field studies as well as primary and secondary sources.

As part of the project’s implementation, which concluded in 2023, significant milestones were achieved despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Key activities included thorough preliminary field visits across the targeted counties, extensive literature reviews, and diverse stakeholder engagement efforts. A notable highlight was the successful Stakeholders Inception Meeting held in October 2021 in Mombasa, officiated by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nairobi. The project’s dissemination efforts included participation in a regional planners’ convention in Malindi, during which the project was presented to a wider audience.

Stakeholders engaged throughout the project included various governmental entities, such as the Mombasa County Government, Kilifi County Government, and Kwale County Government, along with community organizations, private sector representatives, and civil society groups.

Through these efforts, preliminary findings revealed significant challenges within the three counties, particularly at the selected project sites. Issues of unsustainable consumption and production were prevalent, expressed through solid waste management difficulties, food losses, excessive natural resource consumption—especially in construction, tourism, and infrastructure—and urban planning complications. These factors directly impacted the health of marine and coastal environments, which were adversely influenced by upstream environmental issues. Despite existing legal and regulatory frameworks at international, national, and county levels addressing these issues, the project identified critical gaps and opportunities for improving SCP, emphasizing the need for a shared vision for sustainable urban development in Kenya’s coastal cities.