The sea is knocking -softly now, but relentlessly. Whether we rise to meet it or let it wash us away will define the cities – and the stories – we leave behind.
By Billy Kanyi | Ethical Business
In the winding alleys of Lamu Old Town, a treasured UNESCO World Heritage site on Kenya’s coast, the ocean is reclaiming the streets. Stone walkways once teeming with traders, schoolchildren, and storytellers now vanish beneath brackish water, a rising tide that tells a deeper story of a climate crisis no longer on the horizon, but at our doorstep.
Local headlines recently echoed a troubling refrain: “Ocean water floods Lamu Old Town, climate link cited.” Another one screamed: “Climate change or seasonal pattern? Record flooding hits Lamu Old Town”
For longtime residents, these floods are no longer rare events. For activists like Nasoro Mahfudh, the message is crystal clear: the planet is warming, and our cities are unprepared.
“Oceans act like heat sponges,” Mahfudh explains. “As they warm, they expand – what scientists call thermal expansion. That’s why sea levels are rising, and that’s why Lamu is flooding.”
His voice carries urgency, not just for his hometown, but for cities across the globe.
A global warning, one city at a time
From Venice’s canals to Jakarta’s sinking neighborhoods and New York’s overwhelmed subways, the floodwaters are not just a coastal problem—they’re an urban crisis. Extreme rainfall, swelling rivers, and rising seas are combining to put cities under increasing stress. What’s happening in Lamu is not an isolated incident. It’s a preview of what’s to come.
And while climate change is the underlying force, the vulnerability of cities is often self-inflicted. Poorly maintained drainage, rampant urban sprawl, and the destruction of natural buffers like mangroves and wetlands have left many cities exposed—and ill-equipped to cope.
The hidden costs of every flood
Urban flooding is more than a nuisance. It displaces families, damages homes, cripples infrastructure, and spreads disease. Economies slow to a crawl. Inequality deepens. In many cases, it’s the poorest communities—those in informal settlements or flood-prone lowlands—who pay the steepest price.
Yet in many cities, planning has lagged behind reality. The systems we’ve built were never designed for the new climate extremes we now face. This gap is growing more dangerous with every passing storm.
Building resilient cities
Experts are united in the call for climate resilience. That means more than sandbags and emergency alerts. It means redesigning cities from the ground up with sustainability in mind.
Green infrastructure—like wetlands, permeable pavements, and urban forests—can absorb water before it floods streets. Upgraded drainage systems, sea walls, restored coastlines, and nature-based solutions are key. So is policy: urban planning that prioritizes long-term sustainability over short-term gain.
Resilient cities don’t just survive disasters—they are built to thrive in spite of them. They treat rainwater as a resource, not a threat. They weave nature into their design. And they value cultural heritage—like Lamu—not as relics, but as living legacies worth protecting.
Will we rise with the water?
As climate threats accelerate, the choices facing cities are stark: adapt or sink. The time for ambition is now, not after the next flood, not after the next disaster.
“We can’t afford to wait,” Mahfudh says. “Lamu is sounding the alarm. Are we listening?”
From heritage towns on the Kenyan coast to megacities around the world, the message is the same: our future depends on the actions we take today. Climate-resilient cities aren’t a luxury. They are a necessity. And the tide won’t wait.
