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Nairobi: Impacts of Urban Growth photo: Peter Kariuki Kimathi street, downtown Nairobi photo: Peter Kariuki

KENYA Nairobi

Kenya's , Nairobi, was established in 1899 as a railway supply depot, and by 1922, the number of settlers had rose to 9 000. About three decades later in the 1950s, the population was about 80 000 settlers. In just 100 years, this small supply depot had been transformed into a thriving capital of British East . At independence in 1963, Nairobi had a population of 350 000 people. Its current population is estimated at more than 3.2 million people spread over 685 square kilometres. Today, Nairobi is a cultural and architectural melting pot, the largest city between and and the economic capital of much of Red box shows of expansion Eastern and Central Africa.

The location of Nairobi and its relatively well-developed infrastructure, including a modern airport and commercial centres has led to a very rapid expansion of the city since 1979. The Population growth in Kenya's capital, Nairobi city's population growth has influenced environmental change over the past century as more land was opened up for human settlement,

industry, roads and other infrastructural development. photo: Peter Kariuki 30,000,000 Kenyatta Avenue, downtown Nairobi 27,000,000 24,000,000 21,000,000 Aberdare Mt. Kenya Nairobi is now faced with serious urban planning and management Million 18,000,000 Rift valley ranges problems, and thousands of its residents live in informal settlements. A growing number of urban residents are finding shelter in sub-standard 15,000,000 housing in informal settlements with severe sanitation problems. In one 12,000,000 of these settlements, there are only 10 toilets for a settlement of 332 9,000,000 households. The burgeoning of and may well be 6,000,000 Africa's largest and are also probably the most dangerous. They have

3,000,000 Source: Kenya Bureau of Statistics very little or no basic services. Deterioration of the conditions is also manifested in decaying infrastructure, poor management of both 0 1969 1979 1989 1999 household and industrial solid waste, lack of proper sanitation facilities, Kenya Year poor drainage systems; and unreliable energy and water supplies for Nairobi Nairobi home consumption and industrial production. Individual families in the city, through their own savings, are however playing a significant role in financing their own housing improvement cost, contributing a large proportion to the domestic resources going into the housing sector. G R I D The current government, elected in December 2002, is trying to NAIROBI resuscitate the economy and decentralize development planning and http://www.gridnairobi.unep.org implementation to city authorities. It has already started to address the challenges of security, rehabilitation of roads and streets, upgrading of city slums and provision of services - public lighting, enactment of DIVISION OF EARLY WARNING AND ASSESSMENT driving standards, market cleanups, restoration of public sanitation For more information, please contact Officer in charge: UNEP/DEWA/GRID-Nairobi infrastructure, and solid waste management. Environment Programme, "X" block P.O.Box 30552, Nairobi, Kenya. Tel +254 20 624214 Fax +254 20 624315 The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on these maps do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations. Created at UNEP/DEWA~Nairobi, Kenya; May 2005 E-mail [email protected]