
12/02/2025
The Department of Environment and Climate Change officially handed over nine underground water storage tanks to Mandera Municipality.
The construction of these tanks was funded through the Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) Program under the County Climate Resilience Investment (CCRI) Grant. The program aims to realise both environmental and social objectives by supporting the ongoing greening program within the Mandera Municipality.
The greening program focuses on planting, nurturing and maintaining trees to enhance the aesthetic value of the town, provide shade against the intense heat, serve as windbreakers, and create a conducive microclimate.
Moreover, the project provides social empowerment platform, particularly for vulnerable members of the community, particularly women, who are responsible for maintaining the trees and receiving a monthly stipend from the county government.
The newly constructed tanks will serve as water storage points for the greening program, where the caretakers will be fetching water to nurture the delicate trees.
The strategically placed tanks are 500 meters apart and will significantly reduce the distance the caretakers usually walk to access water, thus cutting the time spent in the field by half. Cumulatively, the nine tanks will directly benefit 200 individuals responsible for maintaining over 4,000 trees, while indirectly benefiting an estimated 1,500 residents.
The primary beneficiaries include vulnerable and marginalized groups (VMGs) such as women, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs). During the handover ceremony, the County Chief Officer urged the caretakers to utilize the tanks effectively, ensuring the proper watering of trees while safeguarding the infrastructure.
The event was attended by senior county staff, the Township Ward Climate Change Planning Committee (WCCPC), the project contractor, and members of the public, all of whom commended the effort as a crucial step in promoting environmental sustainability and community empowerment.