Nakuru: Nakuru County is implementing a Sh3.8 billion project towards embracing the ‘sponge city’ concept as a possible solution to minimizing the frequency and severity of floods and improving water quality within the County. The County Government is partnering with Netherlands under the Water as Leverage (WaL) program, the UN-Habitat, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), and Vitens Evides International (VEI) to adopt the Sponge City concept aimed at making the city withstand variable temperatures, drought, and heavy rainfall.
According to Kenya News Agency, County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Water, Environment, Energy, Climate Change, and Natural Resources Dr. Nelson Maara explained that a sponge city is designed to passively absorb, clean, and use rainfall in an environmentally friendly manner, reducing polluting and hazardous run-off. The initiative aims to address the devastating effects of flooding caused by a growing population, unplanned urbanization, uncontrolled land-filling, and disorganized waste disposal.
Dr. Maara outlined that the sponge city approach includes permeable roadways, rooftop gardens, rainwater harvesting, rain gardens, and green and blue spaces such as ponds, rivers, and lakes. Nakuru’s sponge city program aims to use porous pavements, rain gardens, green roofs, urban wetlands, and other innovations to hold and purify stormwater, gradually releasing it like a sponge.
Dr. Maara spoke at a Nakuru hotel during a meeting with a delegation from VEI and the Wageningen University of Netherlands (WUR) discussing climate resilience and water management. He praised the partnership between the County Government, VEI, and WUR university, which he said will promote sustainable urban water management and climate resilience initiatives.
The WaL Program is an initiative of the Government of the Netherlands that promotes sustainable social, economic, and water climate resilience to accelerate climate change adaptation. The project targets three high vulnerability zones for water retention and flood mitigation: Menengai Crater Reforestation, Nakuru City Centre Urban Greening, and the Njoro River restoration program.
County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Youth, Sports, Gender, Social Services Ms. Elga Adoyo Riaga observed that while the concept of sponge cities is still relatively new, it offers a nature-based solution to tackle flooding. By transforming cities into sponge cities, the County aims to create more resilient urban environments and better manage flood risks. She emphasized the importance of proactive measures to prevent disasters, noting that a city’s ability to absorb water is crucial in withstanding climate shocks.
