A survey on the effects of climate change on National Museums Kenya: tangible heritage at Malindi Museum and the historic town and archaeological site of Gedi
Written by Doris Kamuye (ITP Fellow 2024), Rodah Lange (ITP Fellow 2023), and Lillian Amwanda (ITP Fellow 2024).
The survey was conducted at Malindi Museum and the Historic Town and Archaeological Site of Gedi, sites that embody the rich tangible and intangible heritage of the Swahili Coast. Malindi, an ancient town, has historically been a hub of cultural, maritime, and natural heritage. This project sought to assess the effects of climate change on monuments, objects, and archaeological remains under the custody of the National Museums of Kenya (NMK).
The Making of Malindi’s rich and diverse Heritage
Recorded accounts indicate that traders sailing from Egypt, Somalia, Arabia, Persia (Muslims) and India (Hindus) to the Land of Zinj/ Azania, probably interacted with the local villagers on the East African Coast and traded crops, skins, ivory, ambergris, iron tools, slaves and other items for goods from Arabia and India. This interaction led to the adoption of Islam in the first century AD and the evolution of Swahili as a common language.
Malindi, historically referred to as Melinda, was a prominent trading post along the East African coast, featured in early maps and writings. Over centuries, diverse communities and visitors contributed to its cultural layering:
- Swahili People – Bantu-speaking communities engaged in maritime trade since the 7th/8th century, referenced in early Greek and Arab records.
- Arab Traders – (before 12th Century) Linked through dhow-based maritime trade propelled by monsoon winds.
- Chinese Voyages (12th Century) – Admiral Zheng He’s fleet visited Malindi; oral accounts suggest this voyage introduced the giraffe to China.
- Portuguese (15th–16th Century) – Vasco da Gama’s visits (1498, 1499, 1524) and establishment of a trading post marked Malindi’s prosperity as a trading post with a settlement consisting of residential houses, an army barracks, a chapel with an adjacent burial ground.
- British & German Contacts (19th Century) – The colonial era brought new administrative and missionary engagements, including the re-founding of Malindi in 1861 under Sultan Majid of Zanzibar.
- Today, heritage remains include the Portuguese Chapel, Vasco da Gama Pillar, Swahili stone houses, mosques, tombs and remnants of the Historic Town and Archaeological Site of Gedi, most of which are gazetted National Monuments, with Gedi listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2024.
High tide at Vasco da Gama Pillar
The Gedi Historic Town and Archaeological Site
UNESCO defines Gedi as, “Surrounded by a remnant coastal forest, away from the coastline, the abandoned city of Gedi was one of the most important Swahili cities on the East African coast from the 10th to 17th centuries. During this period, it was part of a complex and international network of trade and cultural exchanges that crossed the Indian Ocean, linking African coastal centers with Persia and other areas. The opulent settlement is clearly delineated by walls and features remains of domestic, religious, and civic architecture, and a sophisticated water management system. It strongly represents the characteristics of Swahili architecture and town planning, utilizing materials such as coral rag, coral and earth mortar and wood.
In the quest to conduct a survey on the effects of climate change on Tangible Heritage, ITP fellows Rodah Langeand Lilian Amwanda visited the Coastal region for a mission at Malindi Museum and the Gedi World Heritage Site. This fieldwork provided an invaluable opportunity for the fellows to gain hands-on experience in heritage documentation, assessment, and conservation.
The journey was long and demanding but exciting, crossing varying landscapes to arrive in Malindi on Sunday 14th September 2025. The fellows joined Doris Kamuye and her team at Malindi Museum on Monday 15th September 2025 for a familiarization tour of the historic sites under Malindi Museum (Malindi Heritage Complex, The House of Columns, Portuguese Chapel and Vasco da Gama Pillar). This initial tour was crucial as it allowed the fellows to directly observe the extent and diversity of tangible heritage under the museum’s care, helping them contextualize the survey objectives.
Engagement with Museum Staff
Following the tour, a meeting was held with selected Museum staff participating in the survey. During this session, ITP fellows made a presentation explaining the purpose, scope, and methodology of the survey. To maximize participation, Ms. Kamuye translated / interpreted the presentations into Kiswahili, as most participants were more comfortable using the local and official language.
Workshop in Session
The fellows conducted both one-on-one and group discussions on climate change impacts, enabling staff to share practical experiences and observations. The team then visited various museum sites to observe and photograph tell-tale signs of climate change on objects and monuments. This session was highly interactive, as staff actively identified and explained how objects of different materials and fabrics were affected. The fellows found this interaction highly instructive for understanding real-world conservation challenges.
Observing objects in the gallery
The use of magnifying lenses to observe marks, growths, and damages on objects was particularly enlightening, providing detailed insights into how environmental changes manifest at the object level. Following the observations, participants completed a questionnaire — one of the key data collection tools for the survey.
Observations made at Malindi Museum
- Objects in storage and display showed signs of deterioration linked to fluctuating humidity and temperature.
- Fabrics and organic materials displayed varying vulnerabilities to climate effects.
- Effects of rising sea
- Heavy rains and siltation causing sea recession
- Seasonal tidal variations, strong winds at sea causing unusual rise of water levels at sites adjacent to the sea (Vasco da Gama Pillar).
- Effects of dust
- Insect infestation, pests and birds (Bats & Indian House crows) in monuments nesting.
Visit to Gedi World Heritage Site
On Monday evening, ITP fellows visited the Historic Town and Archaeological Site of Gedi for a familiarization tour and to meet the Coast region’s Assistant Director, Mr. Hussein Aden. Mr. Aden oversees both Cultural (the Archaeological site) and Natural (The Kipepeo Butterfly House, Coral Rag Forest, and its flora and fauna) heritage at the site.
Gedi World Heritage Site
The discussion with Mr. Aden was highly productive, providing insights into the site’s management, conservation challenges, and ongoing preservation strategies. This preparation was crucial, as Mr. Aden was travelling for work and had delegated the survey assignment to Doris Kamuye (Curator) and Mr. Khalfan Bini, the Gedi WHS Resident Archaeologist. The fellows returned to Malindi town, still amazed at how historic, expansive, ecologically and culturally significant the World Heritage Site is. This experience significantly deepened their appreciation for the complexities of heritage conservation in the face of climate change.
Gedi World Heritage Site
On Tuesday morning, the fellows caught a taxi to Gedi, eager to begin the survey. Staff participants were curiouslywaiting to engage in the exercise. A meeting was held in a conference room, where fellows presented the ITP survey, its objectives, legacy projects, the rationale for studying climate change impacts, and the roles of participants.
Ms. Kamuye once again translated and interpreted the content into Kiswahili, ensuring clarity, comprehension, and informed participation. The subsequent one-on-one and group discussions allowed participants to share extensive insights based on their routine work at the site and their observations of changes over the years. The fellows noted the immense value of these discussions in understanding local expertise, experiential knowledge, and site-specific climate vulnerabilities.
Finds on display
During the site visit, participant’s highlighted visible effects of climate change, including:
- Presence of numerous deep dry wells, in what was once a prosperous civilization with plenty of water.
- Seasonal variations in flora and fauna, attributed to climate change.
- Strong winds causing gradual erosion of walls.
- Vegetation overgrowth, with roots causing structural damage to coral rag walls (controlled periodically). Fusion of nature and culture- with trees having over the years grown on site.
- Growth of fungi, moss, and lichen on surfaces.
- Fluctuating relative humidity caused by alternating dry and rainy seasons.
The fellows recognized that documenting these indicators was critical for future conservation strategies and highlighted the practical relevance of field-based research.
Some theories explaining the site’s abandonment include:
- Numerous wells within the historic town and archaeological site drying up, due to declining water table
- Outbreaks of plague disease, often attributed to black rats.
- Raids by the Galla/ Oromo people from Somalia
- The Overall Impact of the Portuguese attempts to control the Indian Ocean trade, which immensely disrupted the Swahili Coasts economy.
These factors demonstrate how climatic, environmental, and epidemiological events intersected to affect the sustainability of settlements over centuries.
Unique features on site
The site, first excavated between 1948 and 1958 by Dr. James Kirkman with a team of African assistants drawn from the local community, has been studied multiple times, with the most recent excavations in 2022 investigating the role of climate change and diseases on the abandonment of Swahili city states. This focused on Gedi as a case study.
The survey was especially significant for the fellows because it:
- Provided hands-on experience in heritage documentation and observation.
- Allowed them to interact with experienced museum staff and site archaeologists, gaining practical insights into conservation challenges.
- Highlighted the direct effects of climate change on both movable and immovable heritage.
- Strengthened their understanding of community engagement, communication, and multilingual interpretation in field research.
- Reinforced the importance of integrating environmental data and historical context into heritage preservation strategies.
Overall, the fieldwork at Malindi Museum and Gedi World Heritage Site was an invaluable learning experience, providing both practical skills and a deeper understanding of challenges in heritage conservation in the context of climate change.
Unique features on site
Observations made at Gedi World Heritage Site
- Strong winds causing wall erosion.
- Vegetation overgrowth, with tree roots collapsing coral rag walls.
- Fungi, moss, and lichen growth on surfaces.
- Relative humidity fluctuations due to alternating dry and rainy seasons.
- Oral insights from staff linked environmental stressors to long-term site vulnerability.