In Japan they ring bells to raise flood alarm

By John Oywa

When rivers dried up and soils cracked due to one of the most prolonged dry spells last year, many Kenyans sought divine intervention. Superstitious communities even turned to witch doctors to help induce the skies to yield raindrops.

Farmers who had planted crops after the Meteorological Department predicted the onset of El Nino rains, cursed as their crops wilted. Then the skies suddenly opened with a vengeance. The floodwaters rose overnight in many parts of country and have now become a menace.

By Sunday, the national death toll from the floods stood at 33. Hundreds of homes have been submerged across the country and several roads rendered impassable.

Despite having faced many disasters in the past, the Government’s disaster management mechanism is badly exposed.

Experts now say the magnitude of flood-related disasters would be immensely minimised if Kenya borrowed a leaf from Japan and other Asian countries which have learnt to tame angry waters.

In Japan, with one of the best-managed flood control systems, water disaster management is a serious national commitment.

Citizens drilled

The country, which has experienced some of the worst flooding disasters in the world, organises national disaster management days during which citizens are drilled on disaster preparedness and rescue operations.

Dr Margaret Abira, the regional manager of Lake Victoria South Water Resource Management Authority, who has been on several study trips to Japan, says Kenya could borrow a leaf from the Asian country.

"In Japan people swiftly respond to disaster alarms. They ring bells, gongs and use all available modes of communication to issue flood alerts. When this is done, everyone moves out without asking questions. In Kenya, people don’t move out of flooded areas until it is too late," said Dr Abira.

She said in an interview, "Every Japanese villager living in flood-prone regions is provided with a small canoe in their homes for use during flooding. In case of flash floods, they use the boats to escape to higher ground.

"Japanese people build their homes, schools and other public facilities on raised ground and make bags and trenches to block water," says an international weather surveyors report on Japan as a case study in flood control

Japanese authorities have built artificial wetlands to help manage floods, says the report.

Dr Abira said some of the techniques her organisation borrowed from Japan are already being applied in Nyando where effective flood management is already paying dividends.

Managing floods

"The people of Nyando are already learning new techniques of managing floods. They now dig trenches around their homes instead of waiting for the government to evacuate them," She said.

This intervention, she explains, has saved Nyando from the ongoing rains.

The Authority has built two evacuation centres at Kokwaro and Kogwedhi where flood casualties seek refuge whenever their homes are flooded. The centres, built last year, have a hall, toilets, a kitchen and a 10,000-liter water tank.

"We have also trained many villagers in Nyando how to evacuate flood victims especially children , the old and the sick," she said.

Dr Abira who has vast experience in water resources management and flood control says her organisation is also constructing foot bridges, culverts and feeder roads leading to evacuation centers. They have also erected signs identifying the direction to the centres.

"We have also trained the villagers on both scientific and traditional early warning signs and erecting warning signs. Our officers have also trained the villagers on how to start putting sand bags and dig trenches around their homes to minimise the effect of the floods," she said.

Last year, the Water resources management Authority conducted a series of flood evacuation drills in Nyando during which hundreds of villagers were trained on how to survive the floods.

The Authority has produced an Integrated Flood management manual and is using water resource users associations to educate the villagers on the dangers of building houses in flood-prone areas.

Education officials

It has also convinced education officials in Nyando to allow the introduction of a curriculum on an integrated flood management in the school syllabus to help prepare children on flood management and early warning systems.

Dr Abira is currently leading a campaign to convince villagers to be ready accept to vacate their homes when warned of impending floods.

"The problem we have in Kenya is that people resist moving to higher ground, hoping the floods would go away the following day," she said.

She says destruction of river banks and settlements on siltation of rivers and trenches have worsened the flooding.