On May 28, 2025, the Royal Danish Embassy in Kenya, through its development arm DANIDA, announced a KSh 907.9 million (approximately US $6.2 million) grant to the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT). The funds will support a four‑year climate resilience programme focused in Northern and Coastal Kenya. This builds on a total investment nearing KSh 4 billion (US $27 million) over the past 13 years.
The new funding will support the restoration of 22 ha of the Ngare Ndare forest in Meru County, including both indigenous and exotic tree seedlings. It will also focus on mangrove conservation across coastal NRT-member conservancies and the expansion of renewable energy solutions, such as household biogas digesters. Other areas of support include improving water access, promoting agroforestry and sustainable agriculture, and strengthening rangeland management.
During the official launch on May 27, 2025, Nancy Njenga, Climate Resilience Programme Manager at the Royal Danish Embassy, emphasized that funding would directly benefit local communities—especially women and youth—by creating jobs, improving water access, and reducing deforestation.
Linking to Somalia: A Regional Model for Climate Action
Although this grant targets Kenyan landscapes, its emphasis on nature-based solutions (NbS) and community-led initiatives resonates with Somalia’s own climate challenges. Somalia ranks as the second most climate-vulnerable country globally, enduring recurrent droughts, floods, soil degradation, and other environmental stresses that require long-term ecosystem restoration and resilience.
Somalia already hosts similar initiatives, such as UN Environment Programme’s NbS project along the Shabelle River Basin and an Adaptation Fund concept of US $5.39 million to enhance resilience. These initiatives align with Kenya’s efforts on forests, water, and sustainable livelihoods.
There is also strong potential for cross-border collaboration. Recently, Somali conservationists visited Kenya’s coastal communities to learn mangrove and coral restoration techniques. One Somali NGO leader noted, “What you have done with communities is very inspiring, and we look forward to doing the same back in Somalia.”
Applying Kenya’s Model to Somalia
Kenya’s success with forest restoration, mangrove conservation, biogas, and youth engagement could inform similar actions in Somalia. Reforesting degraded riverbanks, protecting Somalia’s sparse mangroves for their blue-carbon potential, expanding biogas adoption to reduce firewood use, and creating green jobs for youth and women would all be practical steps toward climate resilience.
Broader Impact & Future Opportunities
Denmark’s long-term commitment — DKK 200 million+ (~US $27 million) invested in Kenya since 2012 — highlights the value of sustained, locally led projects. Somalia could similarly benefit from multi-year partnerships under its 2024–2028 Strategic Framework, which prioritizes adaptation, water management, and green growth as part of its national resilience strategy.
Conclusion
Denmark’s US $6.2 million (KSh 907.9 million) grant to Kenya’s Northern and Coastal regions not only supports local ecosystems and livelihoods but also provides a working model for Somalia. By embracing similar nature-based, community-centered approaches, Somalia can build its own environmental resilience, protect fragile ecosystems, and improve the well-being of vulnerable communities facing an increasingly unpredictable climate.
