New York:Kenya has intensified its efforts to attract international investment for nature conservation and climate resilience. Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa has been actively engaging in high-level discussions at the United Nations to foster stronger global partnerships in these areas.
According to Kenya News Agency, during the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) in New York, Barasa met with Conservation International CEO Dr. Sebastian Tro«ng. They discussed enhancing cooperation in conservation, ecosystem restoration, and nature-based finance, with a focus on expanding investment in Kenya’s natural capital via carbon markets and climate finance.
Conservation International has offered to provide its technical and investment expertise to help Kenya develop large-scale nature-finance solutions. The discussions also identified technical gaps in Kenya’s carbon markets that need addressing to boost investment in forests and other carbon-rich ecosystems.
The dialogue also covered the Global Environment Facility and Green Climate Fund concepts, which aim to protect areas such as forest reserves and climate-resilient ecosystems, especially in Kenya’s arid, semi-arid, and coastal regions. Additionally, Barasa invited Conservation International to participate in the upcoming Mazingira Day as part of the National Tree Growing and Ecosystem Restoration Programme.
Barasa used the UN platform to highlight the threat of rising sea levels to Kenya’s 536-kilometre coastline, which experiences an annual sea-level rise of approximately three millimetres. She emphasized that nearly a third of the coastline is at high risk, threatening communities and infrastructure.
Kenya has expressed solidarity with Small Island Developing States and other vulnerable nations, welcoming the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion on climate change and sea-level rise. Barasa called for comprehensive coastal vulnerability mapping to inform development and emphasized the need for climate-resilient infrastructure and stronger early-warning systems.
A central theme of Kenya’s message was the necessity for predictable, long-term climate finance to support vulnerable communities and ecosystems. Barasa urged for increased mobilisation of resources to finance climate adaptation and resilience, citing Kenya’s renewable energy achievements as evidence of its commitment to global climate action.
Kenya aims to leverage international climate partnerships for investments that create livelihoods, protect ecosystems, and bolster communities’ resilience against climate change. The country’s involvement at the UN highlights its strategy to convert its natural assets into sustainable development opportunities that benefit vulnerable communities.
