Visibilize4ClimateAction is a Wellcome-funded project led by the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC) aimed at making visible the often-overlooked impacts of climate change on nutrition and mental health among vulnerable populations in the East African drylands. These regions—spanning Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Tanzania—are increasingly experiencing heatwaves, recurrent droughts, flooding, and land degradation, all of which undermine food security, ecological health, and overall well-being.
The project seeks to generate robust evidence linking climate change to undernutrition among children under five, and among girls and women of reproductive age, as well as to mental health challenges in affected communities. It combines historical data analysis, ecological and health assessments, scenario modeling, and documentation of lived experiences.
Alongside research, the project emphasizes public engagement to strengthen community understanding of climate impacts and policy engagement to promote evidence-informed climate actions at local, national, and regional levels.
Ultimately, Visibilize4Climate Action aims to catalyze context-specific, scalable climate policy and practice reforms that protect the health and livelihoods of populations living in East Africa’s drylands.
Download the project brief for more information.
1. To estimate the impact of climate change on the nutritional status of children under 5 (U5), and girls
and women of reproductive age (RA) in Eastern African (Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania) drylands
through the analysis of historical data.
2. To determine current ecological and health (nutrition and mental health) outcomes and lived
experiences of vulnerable populations in drylands in Kenya with the impacts of climate change and
assess readiness for practice and policy change through mixed methods approaches.
3. To model future health and ecological impacts of climate change from different policy scenarios, cost
of the impacts and potential cost-effectiveness of action in Eastern Africa.
4. To help communities in drylands in Kenya (Laikipia, Turkana & Samburu) understand the concepts of
climate change and climate impacts, obtain views on various climate practices and policy options,
and communicate research evidence through participatory public engagement.
5. To promote evidence-informed decision-making regarding climate policy and practice change at
scale in Kenya and the Eastern Africa region, through knowledge sharing, advocacy, and policy
engagement.
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation
Climate Action
Climate and Health
Climate and Food Systems
Nutrition
Mental Health
Agroecology
Community Empowerment and Capacity Building
Policy Advocacy and Governance
Youth and Gender Inclusion in Climate Action
