Every time the skies open up the country experiences floods and massive destruction of infrastructure as if flooding is some sort of unexpected event. When the rains stop, we sit back and wait for nature to let loose again.
The fierce power of nature in the form of floods has long held a powerful grip on our thoughts and it’s not uncommon to find people who view the phenomenon as the destructive act of an angry god. We don’t believe in such myths, but if by any chance the gods are indeed angry, then they have every right to be furious at successive governments and a people who have continuously chosen to make the wrong choices when it comes to harnessing natural resources.
In the past few days, a number of people have been killed by floodwaters in areas like Narok, Mogotio and Homa Bay, yet what the residents of these areas have done is appeal for aid, which as usual, has been slow or not forthcoming. The rains will give way to sunshine and again, people will complain about drought and lack of food and — as has now become traditional — the Government will appeal to the international community for aid.
We beg for help when there is rain and still hold the same bowls when it is shining. Must we always be a nation of beggars? Our benefactors must be fatigued. It is incumbent on the Government to develop strategies to harness, tame, conquer and battle threats posed by uncontrollable flooding and wild rivers.
There is a misguided belief we require billions of shillings to implement some of these life-saving measures when all we require is simple policy change. For example, the Government can start by enacting a law making rainwater harvesting mandatory in urban areas to promote water conservation.
It could do this by sponsoring a Bill in Parliament that would make it mandatory for developers of new houses in urban areas to build underground tanks to store excess rainwater harvested from the rooftops of residential, multi-storeyed buildings. Such efforts have been successful in many countries, including India, where such law has helped stem negative effects of floodwaters across several states.
Enact this law and let people who live in towns like Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Nakuru see the advantages of harvesting rainwater. They can then compare the amount of money they will be saving by using the stored rain water with that which they pay respective water companies for treated water every month.
Water shortages
There is no doubt people will like the idea. It is ironical that in recent months, towns like Nairobi and Mombasa have experienced severe flooding and yet, residents of these places still have to contend with widespread water shortages.
A recent report by the United Nations Environmental Programme estimates that Nairobi has potential to harvest almost ten million cubic meters of water each year, if rainwater harvesting measures were in place in the city’s rooftops, roads, open grounds and forest-covered areas. The survey report titled: ‘Potential for Rain Water Harvesting in Ten African Cities’, shows the capital city has potential to supply the water needs of between six and 10 million people "…with 60 litres of water a day if rainwater were efficiently and effectively harvested".
These statistics are compelling enough for any right-thinking government to institute corrective measures. It has been said before that urgent and necessary steps need to be taken to help harvest and store floodwaters for future use and we will continue urging the Government to do so.
It is imperative for the Government to think long-term and establish flood control structures that will not only help reduce the intensity and frequency of flooding, but direct water to storage in dams where they could be used for irrigation during drought or serve in provision of hydro-electric power.
Such water will be precious in several parts of the country, especially in arid and semi-arid regions (80 per cent of our land) where farmers have to cope with droughts and crop failure.
