1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Nairobi (FUA) Region Africa Short description of the intervention The increasing volume of solid waste, driven by Nairobi's growing population, has become one of the city's major challenges (Ref 1, 2). To address this issue and promote better environmental practices, authorities plan to convert all reclaimed illegal dumpsites into recreational and green spaces. The transformation of the former Kangemi Cemetery, abandoned for over 20 years and used as an illegal dumpsite, was the first initiative in this effort. Led by Nairobi's Governor, H.E. Mike Sonko, and supported by the City County, the project was completed in 2018 and serves as a key example of these transformative measures (Ref 1, 2, 3). Previously, Kangemi Cemetery contained over 500 loads of illegal waste, but following a successful clean-up, it has been rehabilitated into a children's playground with recreational area, now named Kangemi Cemetery Memorial Park (Ref 3). Website of the intervention https://www.c40.org/case-studies/reducing-ghg-emissions-through-community-drive… Principal problems Land use and Socio-economic change Rapid urbanization Unequal availability and access to public green spaces Health, Well-being and Social cohesion Inadequate access to recreational opportunities Implementation area characterization Climate Tropical (Tropican rainforest, tropical monsoon, tropical savanna) Ecosystem Urban or built environment Address Kangemi Cemetery Memorial Park Nairobi Kenya Location The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by). Area boundary (map-based) NBS area image Source of NBS area image First image: https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2018-07-24-sonko-to-convert-illegal-estate-dumpsites-to-playgrounds/. Second image: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kangemi+Cemetery+Memorial+Park/@-1.2681305,36.7570017,237m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x182f199fcdddfc2b:0xa70a66a71bcab849!8m2!3d-1.2680513!4d36.7570969!16s%2Fg%2F11h77w63dc?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTAwMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D Area description Urban (main city) Type of area before implementation of the NBS Brownfield site (previously contaminated or derelict land) Waste disposal site or landfill Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) 2014 Start date of intervention (implementation process) 2018 End date of the intervention 2018 Present stage of the intervention Completed 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention 1) To rehabilitate former illegal dumpsites, such as Kangemi Cemetery, into a community recreational space and park 2) To improve environmental quality (soil, re-vegetation) and enhance public health by involving community members and local organizations in clean-up efforts and sustainable practices; 3) To provide safe spaces for children. (Ref 3) Key Priorities Social Justice and community Sustainability challenge(s) addressed Environmental quality Soil quality improvement Waste management Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15) Green space creation and/or management Health and well-being (SDG 3) Creation of opportunities for recreation Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10) Social justice and equity Sense of community and community engagement Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities The first clean-up of solid waste in Kangemi Cemetery was carried out by Sifa Cleaning and Bins Services, in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), local community-based organizations (CBOs), environment students from the Technical University of Kenya, and Nairobi County government environment staff. Sifa was commissioned through a public tender by the government to clean and beautify the space. After the clean-up, trees were planted, symbolizing a shift in the use of the area. Garbage bags were distributed to residents for proper waste disposal, which was collected and sent to the Dandora dumping site. Additionally, recreational facilities for children were established in the newly cleaned space. A second clean-up campaign was later organized by local CBOs, working with Nairobi City County. (Ref. 3, 4, 5, 6) Type of NBS project Creation of new green areas Creation of any other green urban spaces Ecological restoration of ecosystems Soil remediation and revegetation Remediation activities of sites with very poor environmental quality Transformation of previously derelict areas Brownfield redevelopment Strategy, plan or policy development Community-based programs (e.g. "Green Your Laneway Program") 3. NBS domains, ES and scale NBS domain and interventions Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented Grey infrastructure featuring greens Green playgrounds and school grounds Parks and urban forests Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces Amenities offered by the NBS Playgrounds Design elements for well-being Tactile elements (e.g., natural materials like wood or stone, exposure to sunlight) Services Expected ecosystem services delivered Cultural services Recreation Mental and physical health and wellbeing Scale Spatial scale Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area The implementation is situated in the Westlands Sub County within the Nairobi City County. As of 2019, there are 308,854 people in Westlands with a population density of 3,167 Persons Per Sq. Km, 1/2 of the density in Nairobi City (Ref 8). - Age: There are 37.17% and 25.33% of the population in age group 25-44 and 0-14, 18.16% between 15 and 24, while people between 45 and 59 comprise 13.19% and people over 60 years old comprise 6,15% (Ref 9); - Employment: the employment rate is 50.5% as of 2019 in Westlands (Ref 10); - Household size: The average household size in the Westlands Sub-County is 2.9 (Ref 11). Socio-economic profile of the area High-income Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Unknown Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities Low-income neighborhoods Primary Beneficiaries Local government/Municipality Non-government organisation/Civil Society Researchers/University Citizens or community groups Young people and children Specify primary beneficiaries - Local government/Municipality: The Nairobi City County government initiated and supported the clean-up, waste management, and transformation efforts, facilitating environmental improvement and public space management (Ref 1, 3, 4, 5). - Non-government organisation/Civil Society: Local community-based organizations (CBOs) participated in clean-up campaigns and waste management activities, promoting community engagement and empowerment (Ref 3, 6); - Researchers/University: Students from the Technical University of Kenya were involved, providing research support and hands-on experience in environmental management (Ref 4); - Citizens or community groups: Local residents received garbage bags and access to improved, safer public spaces, promoting inclusivity and better living conditions (Ref 1, 3, 4); - Young people and children: The creation of playgrounds and recreational facilities directly benefited young people and children by providing safe spaces for play and social interaction, contributing to their overall well-being (Ref 1, 3, 5, 6); - Marginalized groups: see evidence for the above. Marginalized groups Children, young people or youth groups Measures for inclusion of marginalised groups playgrounds and recreational facilities were created for young people and children (Ref 5). Other beneficiaries Public health (e.g. increased physical activity opportunities, reduced stress) 4. Governance and financing Governance Governance arrangements Government-led Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative The project was the first initiative launched among illegal dumpsite transformation measures in the Nairobi City County, promoted by the Governor of Nairobi, H.E Mike Sonko (Ref 1, 2, 3). The first round of clean-up was organised by Sifa Cleaning and Bins Services that has been given a tender to clean and beautify (Ref 4). Other participants included Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA), local community based organization's (CBO's), Environment students from Technical University of Kenya and Nairobi county government environment staff (ibid). The second round of clean-up was organised together by CBO in Kangemi and Nairobi City County (Ref 6). Public participation was encouraged in the project with awareness raising initiatives to certain extent (Ref 1, 3, 4). Key actors - initiating organization Local government/municipality Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) Non-government organisation/civil society Citizens or community group Researchers/university Private sector/corporate actor/company Multilateral organisation Stages of citizen and community engagement On-the-ground implementation Level of citizen and community engagement Moderate Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives Formation of community-led groups responsible for the the implementation, maintenace or monitoring of the project Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping) Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting) Co-management/Joint management Uncommon actors ("Missing actors") Community & Social Groups Youth-led organizations/ citizens Land owners Public space owned by the city Policy drivers NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy Unknown NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan Unknown NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan Yes Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan" The project was conducted in line with the city's plan to combat urban waste and convert illegal dumping sites to children's playgrounds (Ref 1, 3, 5). Relevant strategy or plan Municipal / city level environmental plan or programme Mandatory or voluntary intervention Mandatory (based on policy) Intervention is mandatory Spatial planning guidance Enablers & Barriers Type of enablers Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships) Support from transitional governance actors Change agents (individual with major role influence on launching) Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives. - Support from transitional governance actors: The dumpsite transformation efforts were supported by the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) (Ref 1, 3). - Change agents (individual with major role influence on launching): The project was promoted largely by the Governor of Nairobi, H.E Mike Sonko (Ref 1, 4, 7). The first round of clean-up was organised by Sifa Cleaning and Bins Services that has been given a tender (Ref.1,2,3) Governace and decison-making instruments Strategic instruments (e.g. GI strategies, green space strategy or plans) Public - community agreement (e.g. citizen science programs; citizen assemblies) Public - private business agreement (e.g. public private collaborations, public-private-partnerships (PPP)) Arrangements for governance cooperation Unknown Barriers No evidence are found in public records. Financing Total cost Unknown Please specify total cost (EUR) The initiating actor was the Nairobi City County alone, and there existed public tender and collaborating private companies, the financing for the project should have come from the local government (Ref 1, 4). However, no exact evidence is available in public records. What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements? n/a Source(s) of funding Public local authority budget Multilateral funds/international funding Type of fund(s) used Earmarked public budget Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities) Non-financial contribution Yes Who provided the non-financial contribution? Citizens (e.g. volunteering) Type of non-financial contribution Provision of labour Co-finance for NBS Unknown Entrepreneurship opportunities Unknown Business models Business models Risk reduction model Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model? Public actor (e.g. municipality) 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits Environmental impacts Environmental quality Improved waste management Achieved improved waste management Improved soil quality Achieved improved soil quality Description of environmental benefits - Improved waste management/Improved soil quality: "For instance, one of the areas that held over 500 loads of solid waste was the former Kangemi Cemetery, which has now been rehabilitated into a children’s playground after a successful clean-up" (Ref 1). Economic impacts Generation of income from NBS Expected generation of income from NBS Description of economic benefits - Generation of income from NBS: "...the waste generated from the city, if well managed could be used to generate more revenue and spur our economy through manufacture of manure or fertilizer and electricity" (Ref 4). Social and cultural impacts Social justice and cohesion Increased opportunities for social interaction Achieved increased opportunities for social interaction Health and wellbeing Gain in activities for recreation and exercise Achieved gain in activities for recreation and exercise Description of social and cultural benefits - Increased opportunities for social interaction: "Amazing place to chill with friends and familly" (Ref 13); “Nairobi City County environment department officers will utilize all illegal dump-sites in a better way by converting them into playgrounds for children" (Ref. 3) - Gain in activities for recreation and exercise: ""We are soon going to give residents here garbage bags which they will put in waste to be collected and taken to Dandora dumping site as we want to turn this place into a recreational facility for our people,"(Ref 4); Evidence for use of assessment Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process Unknown Presence of indicators used in reporting No evidence in public records Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports No evidence in public records Availability of a web-based monitoring tool No evidence in public records Name of any specific impact assessment tools Unknown Use of GIS in mapping impacts No evidence in public records Cost-benefit analysis Unknown Transparency Unknown Justice Community satisfaction Mixed: Feedback and reports show a combination of positive and negative sentiments regarding satisfaction with the NBS project within the community. Description of locals satisfaction with the project “Amazing place to chill with friends and familly..again it's a bit secured due to nearby chief office” (Ref 13); “Loved this park highly recommended interms of security,,,,good place for enjoyment” (Ref 17); “Poorly managed. Garbage is taking over” (Ref 18); “Very dirty full of garbage” (Ref 18). Trade-offs & Negative impacts Unknown Please specify Trade-offs & Negative impacts Selected No evidence are available in public records. Emphasis of existing social inequalities or injustices No information reported related to negative social justice-related impacts of the NBS project Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement No initiatives or policies were implemented High-quality & Transformative NBS Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community) No Goal setting and impacts delivery No, project goals were not set, and benefits were not delivered in all 3 key areas. Reaching original project goals Most of the project goals were achieved Please specify the achievements of the project goals Social justice and community: - Increased opportunities for social interaction: "Amazing place to chill with friends and familly" (Ref 13); “Nairobi City County environment department officers will utilize all illegal dump-sites in a better way by converting them into playgrounds for children" (Ref. 3) - Gain in activities for recreation and exercise: ""We are soon going to give residents here garbage bags which they will put in waste to be collected and taken to Dandora dumping site as we want to turn this place into a recreational facility for our people,"(Ref 4); Long-term perspective No Cost-effective solutions Unknown Equitable impacts C. Unknown Transformative capacity Social change (e.g. social relationships, networks and dynamics within them) Magnitude of change Incremental: shallow; that is, mostly maintaining business-as-usual approaches to adaptation Application of lessons learned The NBS has been shared or used as a good practice to trigger transformative change Perception of Environmental Change Unknown 6. Sources References 1. Nairobi City County (n.d.). Cleaning Nairobi City. Nairobi City County, Accessed on September 18, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. Mueni, J. (2018). Illegal Dumpsites To Be Transformed Into Recreational Parks, Says Sonko. Capital Daily, Accessed on September 18, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. Dinga, P. (2018). Reducing GHG Emissions through Community-Driven City Clean-Ups. C40 Cities, Accessed on September 18, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. Kweyu, C. (2105). Kangemi cemetery to be turned into a recreational park. The Standard, Accessed on September 18, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 5. Ambani, S. (2018). Nairobi’s first illegal dumpsite-turned-children’s playground unveiled – PHOTOS. Nairobili News, Accessed on September 18, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 6. Grey Apple Events (2018). Facebook. Facebook, Accessed on September 18, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 7. Mutavi, L. (2018). Sonko to convert illegal estate dumpsites to playgrounds. The Star, Accessed on September 18, 2014, [Source link] [Archive]; 8. Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) (2019). 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census: Volume 4 Distribution of Population by Administrative Units. Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), Accessed on September 17, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 9. Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) (2019). 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census: Volume 3 Distribution of Population by Age and Sex. Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), Accessed on September 17, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 10. Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) (2019). 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census: Volume 4 Distribution of Population by Socio Economic Characteristics. Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), Accessed on September 17, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 11. Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) (2019). 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census: Volume 1 Population By County And Sub County. Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), Accessed on September 17, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 12. Munasia, S. (2022). Google Maps. Google Maps, Accessed on September 18, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 13. Makatiani, C. (2024). Google Maps. Google Maps, Accessed on September 18, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 14. Wanyiri, H. (2019). Google Maps. Google Maps, Accessed on September 18, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 15. Lung'ahi, G. (2022). Google Maps. Google Maps, Accessed on September 18, 2023, [Source link] [Archive]; 16. Esamai, V. (2023). Google Maps. Google Maps, Accessed on September 18, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 17. Koech, K. (2024). Google Maps. Google Maps, Accessed on September 18, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 18. Kibaru, V. (2024). Google Maps. Google Maps, Accessed on September 18, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; Comments and notes Comments The address is PQJ4+QRH, Nairobi, Kenya, yet the geocode does not fit the format required by the database. Public Images Image Park-rehabilitation https://x.com/MikeSonko/status/1068189339467874304/photo/1 Image Park-rehabilitation https://x.com/MikeSonko/status/1068189339467874304/photo/1 Image Construction at the Kangemi Cemetery Memorial Park The Star Image Seesaw at the Kangemi Cemetery Memorial Park Nairobi News
