Floods will continue to hurt us unless we conserve environment

The effects of climate change are likely to increase in its frequency and severity, which may cause shifts in the global pattern and intensity of flood events.

This will consequently increase the exposure of populations to severe flooding, which causes destruction of communities, businesses, ecosystems and deaths.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report of 2001 confirms that the key adverse effects of climate change are the widespread increase in the risk of flooding for many human settlements. The impacts of future changes in climate extremes are expected to fall disproportionately on the poor.

According to studies conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization and Centre for International Forestry and Research, extreme floods kill and displace hundreds of thousands of people every year, particularly in developing countries with large rural and agrarian populations. As a result, properties and infrastructure worth billions of dollars are destroyed.

In Kenya, like in other parts of the world, flooding has emerged as the most common and prevalent meteorological disaster. The long rains are here and floods have already caused death and destruction.

Earlier this month most parts of Kenya had experienced extremely heavy rains that resulted in floods and landslides in different parts of the country.

This is not new. Kenya has experienced flooding across the different parts of the country in the last 20 years. In 1997-98, there was El Niño that hit many parts of the country disrupting the socio-economic activities, extensive damage to property, infrastructure, and communication facilities, and deaths.

In 2003, there was also massive flooding that affected over 60,000 people who were displaced and had to be moved into camps for shelter and food. The National Disaster Operations Centre says landslides are causing destruction and loss of lives in the Rift Valley and the central and coastal regions.

Last year, western Kenya was among the hardest-hit regions, with at least 40,000 people rendered homeless after the Nzoia river burst its banks. Moreover, the rising level of Lake Victoria is becoming a worrying concern to residents of Kisumu, Siaya, Busia, Migori, and Nyanza counties.

The Lake Victoria Basin Commission says the water level has risen by more than two metres, a situation last seen between 1960-64, when the overflow rose by close to 2.5 metres. The same scenario was reported in the northwestern region, where at least 15 people reportedly died and nearly 4,000 were displaced following a mudslide triggered by heavy rains on April 18 in West Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet counties, according to the Kenya Red Cross.

In Central Kenya, Murang’a is among counties affected by landslides. According to the Meteorological Department, these heavy rains are likely to continue till the end of May.

It’s no doubt that human activities, including poor land use, destruction of ecosystems such as wetlands among others, are the contributing factors to the adverse effects of flooding. For instance, the unrelenting loss of forests across the country may increase or exacerbate the number of flood-related disasters.

The high population densities also continue to put pressure on the environment as people seek more land to build houses, hence lack of water control infrastructure results in disaster. There is also the inadequate maintenance and deterioration of existing infrastructure, on the systems meant to handle the flooding menace. Another contributing factor is the lack of human capital skills for system planning and management by county governments.

Therefore, to effectively mitigate floods and landslides, the county and national governments should work together and develop holistic approaches. As the National Environment Complaints Committee, we recommend the following mitigation measures:

First is hazard forecasting, early warning systems, and emergency plans, which will enable government officials and the public to make decisions to evacuate or move valuable property from high-hazard areas.

Advance information about potential failures of levees or dams can significantly reduce the consequences should failures occur. Preparation of emergency action and evacuation plans can similarly reduce or eliminate casualties and property losses. Therefore, the Kenya Meteorology Department should intensify the use of early warning systems to promote preparedness and evacuation of people living in flood and landslide-prone areas.

Second is proper land-use planning, which is the centre of non-structural flood mitigation activity, is an effective tool for reducing risk at the community level.

It implements public policy to direct how land in each area is used. This can be executed through zoning ordinances and takes place on multiple levels of government, from national policy to local policy where there may be a designation of parcels for specific use at the local level.

Third is enhancing flood risk data and impact-based forecasting risk data across government institutions, the United Nations, NGOs, and research institutions. This multi-stakeholder commitment is needed for effective data management based on recent risk management and control policies.

Fourth is risk assessment: The county governments should get involved in risk mapping and assessment through monitoring areas that have potential risks of flooding and landslides to avert impending disasters. This will help create awareness among the residents of these regions.

Fifth is environmental restoration: Studies show for centuries, it has been passionately claimed, and fiercely disputed, that forests provide natural protection from floods. Reforestation may help to reduce the frequency and severity of flood-related catastrophes.

Ideally, this can be done using native trees, which tend to have higher conservation value for native biodiversity. Counties in liaison with National Environmental Management Authority and Kenya Forest Service should ensure the affected areas are rehabilitated by planting trees to make the soil firm hence, prevent soil erosion and mudslides. This can be achieved through the provision of seedlings and carrying out environmental awareness programmes.

Sixth is the construction of dikes for flood control, which is necessary to help reduce the speed of water run-off and enhance seepage into the soil.

There is also need to develop strategic plans for the relocation of affected persons. This will substantially reduce the number of flood victims and highlight areas that need floodways, spillways, and channels. Under some circumstances, river channels can be modified to increase their flood-carrying capacity. Spillways for dams need to be regularly audited to ascertain their structural soundness. Furthermore, a framework policy is also needed to address emergencies that result from flooding and landslides.

Eighth is the need to demarcate high water points along riparian areas such as the construction of high-capacity dams and the incorporation of self-locking water dams to reduce flooding in case of heavy inflow.

Ultimately, it is necessary to convince people of the value of natural systems and encourage policymakers to include social and economic planning with technological approaches to water management. This is particularly necessary for Kenya, where funds to deal with disasters are extremely limited, and flood-related catastrophes will suppress economic growth and prosperity.

Dr John Chumo is the NECC secretary, while Naomi Kemei is a development communications practitioner