Dr Ruth Wambui Wainaina

Kenya | Smallholder farmers in Murang'a County, located in central Kenya, are facing growing climate-related challenges that threaten their livelihoods and food security. These farmers, who rely on their small plots of land for subsistence agriculture, are becoming increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including prolonged droughts, erratic rainfall, mudslides, and unproductive agricultural practices.

The impacts of these climatic factors are devastating. The mudslides, which often occur without warning, lead to displacement of families, injuries and even loss of livestock and human lives. The insufficient agricultural productivity has also led to increased hunger, malnutrition, health issues, and a rise in crime as communities struggle to cope with worsening conditions. Research recommends climate resilience through adaptation and mitigation of climate actions.

Despite the pressing need for adaptation, the adoption of climate change resilience strategies remains low among these communities. Several factors contribute to this resistance, including cultural and religious misconceptions, which hinder the acceptance of scientific knowledge and adaptation measures. Many community members attribute weather changes and natural disasters to divine will or spiritual causes, complicating discussions around practical, science-based climate resilience actions. These beliefs can lead to resistance towards climate resilience initiatives, particularly those that promote the role of human action in mitigating climate change impacts.

The gap between scientific knowledge and religious beliefs poses a significant challenge to disseminating climate resilience practices. They hinder acceptance of novel farming techniques, water management strategies and early warnings. Additionally, climate science communication is often complex, incomplete, and poorly disseminated. Science communication is mostly unpalatable and inaccessible to most of the community. Bottlenecks to effective communication make it difficult for communities to understand the urgency of the situation and take the necessary actions to protect themselves.

Dr Ruth Wainaina's research plans to tackle this issue through embracing innovative ways of effective science communication to reach and engage these marginalised communities. Tailoring climate science to the social and cultural context of the community, such as utilising familiar communication channels and methods, demystifies the science of climate change and resilience. Innovative dissemination techniques, such as interactive workshops, storytelling, and local media, can bridge the knowledge gap. Moreover, addressing and debunking religious misconceptions about climate change and integrating indigenous knowledge into the climate dialogue will foster greater awareness and drive behavioural change among farmers, fostering a culture of climate resilience.

By improving the communication of climate resilience strategies, we can empower communities to take ownership of their adaptation efforts, foster social cohesion, and contribute to the long-term sustainability of their agricultural practices. The project will also contribute to the political dimensions of sustainability, engaging local communities, government, and NGOs in collaborative efforts to address the challenges posed by climate change. She will identify key stakeholders (local government, NGOs, community leaders, farmers' groups, religious institutions) and vulnerable groups involved in climate resilience. Mapping their roles will foster collaboration and leverage existing support systems.

Dr Wainaina will gather data on existing climate resilience strategies, including modern and indigenous knowledge, and assess the strengths and gaps in these techniques to inform future interventions. She will then investigate barriers such as cultural beliefs, religious misconceptions, and communication challenges. Understanding these factors will inform the design of culturally sensitive interventions. After this, she will identify sustainable and context-specific climate adaptation and mitigation strategies and deliver climate change messages using accessible, culturally sensitive methods, ensuring the community understands the science and importance of adaptation. She will then track the progress and outcomes of the interventions to assess community adoption, food security, and overall sustainability. 

Afterwards, she will scale the project to other counties, adapting strategies to local contexts and contributing to national climate resilience efforts. The project will adopt a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative research techniques to address the climate resilience challenges in Murang'a County, Murang'a.

Dr Ruth Wambui Wainaina is a multidisciplinary researcher, facilitator, and science communicator whose work sits at the intersection of education, human capital development, and climate resilience. With a first degree in Education (BEd., Science), a Master's in Human Resource Management (MHRM), both from Egerton University, and a PhD in Human Resource Management from Kenyatta University, Ruth brings a robust academic foundation into the evolving conversations around climate change adaptation, capacity strengthening, and decolonial pathways in science communication.