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Paper short abstract:

This study explores the meanings of 'locally-led climate solutions' in Kenya, and the dynamics through which these meanings come about in practice, zooming in on the role of CSOs. It points to important challenges and politics in these processes, and thus unpacks 'the local' as advanced by CSOs.

Paper long abstract:

This paper explores the roles of civil society organizations (CSOs) in Kenya that are involved in articulating locally-owned climate action. It zooms in on the ways in which CSOs contribute to certain voices obtaining the status of ‘the local’, defining locally-led adaptations as ultimately legitimate solutions to climate change. The rationale for this study is that the meaning of local ownership and local voices in the context of climate deserve close attention, to develop our understandings of what ‘local solutions’ are in practice, through what dynamics they come about, and with what implications for the democratic quality of ‘the local’ and ‘local voices’ thus constructed. While efforts centre on local populations, CSOs involved need to engage with multiple legitimacy audiences, and work within specific political and policy contexts. The study is interpretive, identifying patterns across a range of Kenya-based CSOs that work on various subthemes and from varied approaches, capacities, understandings, and regional focus. The study is based on semi-structured interviews, participant observation and document analysis. Key findings of the study are that ‘the local’ and ‘locally led solutions’ are commonly approached in terms of facilitation and inclusion of understandings of climate problems and solutions as understood and identified by local communities that organizations work with, in ongoing climate policy processes. This implies placing responsibility for climate solutions with local communities, banking on local knowledge. CSOs also face important resource and expertise limits, and often avoid challenging questions addressing climate beyond the local, or difficult and politically sensitive aspects.