Leveraging social capital for climate change adaptation in the Mara River Basin, Kenya

Abstract

Climate change is a wicked problem characterised by interdependencies that challenge adaptation and mitigation. Yet durable responses often depend on the social relationships through which risks are interpreted and action coordinated. This study examines how social capital shapes climate adaptation along Kenya’s Mara River Basin, focusing on bonding, bridging, and linking ties. Using participatory qualitative methods, it analyses how close-knit groups mobilise labour and informal insurance, how cross-community networks enable cooperation and knowledge exchange across diverse livelihood and ethnic groups, and how trusted institutional linkages expand access to expertise and resources. Findings show that trust, reciprocity, and inclusive processes reduce financial and physical constraints and ease psychological barriers by shifting uncertainty toward agency. The study argues that climate programmes should invest in relational conditions, fair participation, accountable partnerships, and community-led co-learning, to ensure uptake and sustainability of technical measures.