Rooting Urban Resilience in Nature: Re-Launching the East Africa Regional Community of Practice

The r u NbS programme has marked an important milestone in Embu County with the official launch of a demonstration project in Dallas informal settlement – Kenya’s first pilot intervention under a county-adopted Green Infrastructure (GI) Plan.

The GI Plan for Dallas was co-developed by the Embu County Government and local residents with facilitation from Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI) and support from GIZ through the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoMSSA) programme. Financing for the demonstration project is provided by the r u NbS – Realising Urban Nature-based Solutions programme, funded by Sida through SwedBio.

From Flood-Prone Junction to Community Hub

The pilot site, located at a flood-prone junction where several streets converge, has long struggled with clogged drains, standing water, and unsafe untarmacked roads. Through this intervention, the area has been transformed with:

• Improved drainage systems, a vegetated swale, and permeable surfacing to better manage stormwater and reduce flooding.

• A multifunctional public space featuring shaded seating, a children’s playground, tree planting for cooling, and a laundry zone with water access.

These amenities reflect priorities identified by residents during participatory planning and design sessions, turning a previously underutilised, flood-prone site into a vibrant community asset.

Building Resilience Together

The launch brought together county officials, KDI staff, community leaders, and Dallas residents, who actively shaped the project from design to construction. The space has now been officially handed over to a local Maintenance and Operations Committee, ensuring community-led stewardship.

Beyond the physical improvements, the pilot was complemented by climate awareness workshops, clean-up events, and stakeholder dialogues, strengthening local capacity and collaboration between the community and Embu County Government.

A Demonstration for the Future

The Dallas pilot illustrates how small-scale Nature-based Solutions (NbS) can address urgent environmental challenges while improving everyday life. By enabling rainwater to infiltrate the ground rather than contributing to floods, the intervention reduces climate risk while also creating inclusive public spaces for social interaction, play, and livelihoods.

The Green Infrastructure Plan itself was developed following the Rivers + People planning principles, established by KDI and further advanced under the r u NbS programme and the Emphasising Ecosystems, Elevating People (3EP) project, funded through the Global EbA Fund. The pilot forms part of this broader plan, which envisions a network of resilient, multifunctional public spaces across Dallas.

By showcasing the benefits of inclusive, community-led green infrastructure, the project aims to catalyse public and institutional support for full-scale implementation—laying the groundwork for more resilient and inclusive cities across Kenya.