Mombasa, Kenya’s second-largest city, has been grappling with increasingly complex water management problems. As the city grows, so do the challenges ranging from frequent flooding and poor drainage to the degradation of rivers and other natural water systems. These issues have only been made worse by the impacts of climate change, making it clear that new, sustainable solutions were urgently needed to protect both the people and the environment.
To help tackle these issues, the Mombasa Urban LAB: Local Adaptation Booster (LAB) was created. This was not just another project, it was a collaborative space where ideas, research, and people came together to find practical, lasting solutions to the city’s water challenges. The LAB brought together a wide range of stakeholders—local government, researchers, community members, and the private sector—to co-create responses to Mombasa’s most pressing urban flooding and water management problems. By focusing on nature-based solutions, sustainable infrastructure, and climate-smart planning, the LAB aimed to build a more resilient Mombasa.
The LAB was rolled out over 10 months, from October2023 to July 2024, and followed a clear, phased approach:
The first step involved talking to people, local government officials, technical experts, and community partners. These conversations helped identify the most urgent water-related issues facing the city. It was important that the LAB addressed real problems that mattered to the people of Mombasa.
The next phase brought everyone around the table, researchers, policymakers, community leaders, businesses, and more. Through workshops, expert panels, and smaller group discussions, stakeholders exchanged ideas and explored what could work in Mombasa’s unique context. Local knowledge was just as valued as scientific expertise, and combining the two created more grounded, workable solutions.
Finally, the LAB focused on turning these ideas into something more permanent. Strategies developed during the LAB were embedded into Mombasa County’s planning systems, helping ensure the work would continue long after the project itself wrapped up. This stage also included reflecting on lessons learned and figuring out how to improve for the future.
Truly collaborative: every voice counted whether from government, academia, the private sector, or the community.
Science + local knowledge: data-driven research was balanced with lived experience from local residents.
Practical and action-oriented: discussions led to real-world pilot interventions, not just reports.
Focused on sustainability: the goal wasn’t just to fix today’s problems but to prepare Mombasa for tomorrow
