Harnessing nature-based solutions and indigenous knowledge for community health and climate resilience: A case study of Ondiri Wetland, Kenya

Wetlands provide crucial services such as water purification, biodiversity conservation, and climate regulation, yet face rapid degradation from urbanization, pollution, and climate change. Ondiri Wetland, East Africa's largest highland bog and source of the Nairobi River, is severely degraded. This study explores how Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) and Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) can restore Ondiri, enhance resilience, and support community health. The study was conducted between June to October 2025 and used a mixed-methods design, integrating ethnographic documentation, household surveys, interviews, focus groups, and ecological observations, GIS mapping, and policy analysis. Community perceptions of the effectiveness of small-scale NbS interventions, like agroforestry, wetland restoration, and urban greening, were assessed, and community opinions on ecological change, conventional conservation methods, and institutional gaps were gathered. According to community respondents, food security, soil stability, water quality, and flood control were perceived to be improved following community-led NbS in Ondiri. IKS is still essential in spite of policy gaps. For scalable wetland management and sustainability, the report recommends funding restoration, mainstreaming NbS, and institutionalizing IKS. In order to inform policy and sustainability objectives, future research should assess the effects of IKS and NbS on wetlands while including hydrological and governance improvements.