Kenya’s booming construction industry has driven massive demand for river sand, but the environmental cost is steep—damaged ecosystems, depleted water sources, and community conflict. In response, locals are constructing sand dams to restore the riverbeds, helping rural areas to store water and restore vegetation. Meanwhile innovative building blocks in Nairobi are helping to reduce the reliance on sand in the construction industry. Local authorities in Makueni County are now regulating sand mining, and villages are joining forces to rehabilitate rivers. It’s grassroots solutions like this, that highlight how development can be balanced with sustainability in the face of climate change.