Discussion Paper No. 197 of 2017 on Destruction of Riparian Zones in the Nairobi Metropolitan Region

Abstract

The global development agenda has placed the sustainability of cities as a critical agenda focusing on the development of safe, resilient and sustainable cities. The frequency of flooding in cities and the collapse of buildings in Kenyan urban areas has raised policy concern on the importance of wetland riparian buffer zone protection. Wetland riparian buffer zones, though defined as public land, have often been viewed as idle wastelands, therefore attracting illegal development. The legislative framework provides for divergent assessment of the width of the riparian buffer zone, which further complicates management and enforcement actions by government agencies. Additionally, although the problem is apparent, its magnitude over time and space is unknown. This study seeks to demystify the encroachment problem in the Nairobi Metropolitan Region, highlighting the legislative loopholes and the spatial and regional complexities of land cover changes along the riparian buffer zone from 1988 to 2014. The study reveals that wetland areas within the metropolitan region dropped significantly by 50 per cent between 2010 and 2014, with Nairobi, Northern and the Southern regions experiencing significantly high increase in built up areas and decrease in wetland areas.