Abstract:
Drought incidences in Kenya are more frequent and resulting impacts more severe as the years
go by. The drought experience is cyclic and in most cases predictable given the technological
advancement and early warning systems. The impact of disasters such as drought are becoming
more pronounced and severe. many interventions have been put in place by various stakeholders
with little or no effect, for example approximately 2.5 million Kenyans are in danger of
starvation from April 2017 due to the failed rainfall. The short rains of October to December
are also insufficient which worsens the drought situation in Kenya. The impact of drought is
ongoing in various counties including Garissa, Mandera, Wajir, Isiolo, Laikipia, Kajiado and
Tana River. The impacts of disasters needs continuous preparedness and mitigation in order to
improve community resilience as drought occurrences are inevitable. Communities have been
affected due to lack of preparedness despite many interventions by governments and other
stakeholders. These can be attributed to many challenges and short comings in dealing with this
frequent disaster. There are many challenges in the management of drought in Kenya including
Climate change, conflicts, poor policies and lack of proper coordination among various players
among others. An understanding of these challenges is critical in order to best tackle the impact
of drought through strengthening capacities and resilience of communities through their
participation. |
