By Ruth Keah | rkeahkadide@gmail.com
In many coastal communities of Kenya, effects of climate change are felt everyday especially by women.
Erratic rainfall, drying water sources and limited access to safe water are forcing families to rely on unsafe alternatives, increasing the risk of diseases.
For women, who are often responsible for fetching water and caring for children and the sick, this crisis comes with a hidden cost, lost time, lost income and reduced opportunities to work or run small businesses.
This situation is clearly seen in the life of Saumu Mwamta from Kwambaji village in Rabai Constituency, Kilifi County along Kenya’s Coastline. Last year, her son started complaining of itching and pain when urinating, and later began passing blood in his urine.
Doctors at a nearby private hospital confirmed that he had schistosomiasis (bilharzia), a disease linked to unsafe water.
“Due to water scarcity here in Rabai, we depend on supply from bowsers or water pans, which are not safe sources of the commodity. I believe that is where my son got the disease,” she said.
For Mrs. Mwamta, this was not just a health scare, it marked the beginning of serious economic and emotional strain.
As the main caregiver, she had to close her shop for several days, losing both customers and income to take care of the sick child. For a single treatment at the private clinic she spent about Ksh 2,500 (US$$22), using savings from her small business of selling charcoal and petty household items.
Water scarcity in Rabai has worsened with changing weather patterns. Families now depend on water pans which are also drying up. On the other hand, water vendors’ products are suspect as their sources are unknown.
Charo Khamisi, a farm manager at Mtandikeni village in Rabai where women fetch water from the water pan, said that the lack of rainfall last year prevented the pan from filling up. As a result, the community has been relying on water harvested during the previous year, which is now being depleted.
“For this pan to have sufficient water, it depends on both the short rains and the long rains. However, last year we did not receive any rainfall. This has led to the water in the pan gradually drying up,” said Khamisi.
For his own use, Charo relies on a traditional method of purifying the water with ashes. He lets the water sit for three hours before using it, as he cannot afford to buy water treatment products from the shop.
“I take ashes and add in the water I have fetched from the water pan, then leave the water for three hours to settle. I normally use it for washing, cooking, cleaning utensils and clothes, and even drinking.” he said.
According to Charo, when his wife and children come to visit him, they use the same water.
“When my wife comes to visit me with our two young children, aged 3 and 5, she uses the same water and sometimes my children complain of stomach ache,
“Since I cannot afford to take them to the hospital, I normally give them traditional herbal medicine,” he added.
Mrs. Mwamta said that sometimes she is forced to walk for more than 15 minutes to look for water, often from contaminated sources shared with livestock.
“We share the water with cows and goats, which defecate in it because we have no other option,” she said.
Though they boil the water for drinking, for other uses including washing and bathing, the water is used as is. Climate change is intensifying this burden.
According to an updated February 2024 UN Women Economic Empowerment Report, women perform up to three times more unpaid care work than men. It further states that Climate change could push up to 158.3 million more women and girls into poverty by 2050. In water-stressed regions, this includes hours spent fetching water and caring for sick family members. Climate-related water shortages increase exposure to waterborne diseases, further adding to women’s responsibilities.
Saida Riziki is from Mazera, Kasarani village in Rabai, she is also a Community Health Promoter. In 2025, she took care of her two grandchildren who were diagnosed with bilharzia. Although she suspects they got the disease from school, the water they use from water pans could also be a contributing factor.
“I took both of them to the hospital, the girl and the boy. They were tested and found to have bilharzia. They were given medicine, and after about one month, they had recovered,” she said.
Riziki says the river near her house is polluted due to open defecation on the river as most people do not have toilets.
“On the other side, there are also used diapers that are thrown away and often end up in the river. Women still fetch this water for drinking because of water shortages,” she said.
For Riziki, taking care of her grandchildren meant she had to balance her work of serving the community and looking after them.
“ I took up community work on weekends so that I can have enough time to care for them during the weekdays,” she said.
Riziki usually boils water for drinking and educates others on hygiene to keep them safe from the diseases.
Chimwaga Mwamuye, is a health promotion officer in the coast region based in Kilifi County. He said the water in the pans are not well protected. In areas without proper toilets, human waste can be washed into water sources when it rains. During dry seasons, contamination becomes more concentrated as water levels shrink.
He said most of the diseases recorded in the area due to unsafe water usage include Bilharzia, diarrhea, and skin infections like ringworms, with most of the 14 dispensaries recording 3–5 cases in a week.
According to the WHO Drinking-Water Fact Sheet (2023), Over 2 billion people currently live in water-stressed countries, a number expected to rise due to climate change and population growth. Additionally, the report says around 3.6 billion people live in areas highly susceptible to climate-related water impacts, such as droughts, floods, and contamination.
Hamisa Zaja, an expert in water and sanitation, said in many rural areas where water is scarce, people are not only prone to skin diseases, but women and people with disabilities are also at higher risk of sexual assault.
During her routine visit to schools in Kilifi County for mentorship with girls who are abled differently, she noticed a worrying trend, many schoolchildren were suffering from ringworms.
According to Hamisa, this is attributed to the unsafe water from water pans they use at home.
“ I was saddened to see so many children with ringworms and no support was being provided,” she said.
Hamisa added that, it is unfortunate that despite harsh weather and limited water, politicians in some parts of the Coast region are using water scarcity as a campaign tool. This politicization makes women and children even more vulnerable.
“There is a need to stop politicizing water issues and ensure everyone has access to clean water, and healthy life as stated in the Kenyan constitution under Article 43 (1) (d),” she said.
Mwamuye encourages people to use simple solutions like boiling water, using purification tablets such as WaterGuard, or placing water in clear containers under direct sunlight for at least six hours to kill germs.
“Although these methods do not solve the larger problem of a changing climate, which makes water sources increasingly unreliable, they help ensure that families remain healthy despite the health risks they face,” he concluded.
The link between climate and health is now gaining global attention. At the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, world leaders warned that climate change is already reshaping disease patterns.
In response, the Belém Health Action Plan is calling for stronger disease surveillance and evidence-based responses to illnesses that are influenced by climate change.
