Floods and landslides continue to claim lives despite efforts to predict and mitigate their effects. As humanitarian aid and recovery efforts continue, we would do well to look into what more can be done to reduce the damage caused by heavy rains.
Damage to a major railway link in Taita Taveta County has turned a national crisis into a regional one.
The successes noted in Budalang’i, which was prone to perennial floods, show the disaster need not be a constant cause of large-scale destruction of property if the right mitigation measures are taken.
Both Budalang’i, which sits in the flood plain around River Nzoia, and Tana River, through which the Tana passes, face floods due to rainfall in high-ground areas miles away. The River Nzoia originates from Mt Elgon and Cherengany Hills and drains into Lake Victoria. The Tana brings rainwaters from the Mount Kenya areas of Meru and Embu to the Coast.
The task of providing early warnings of flooding in such circumstances is daunting.
Arresting floods, however, is possible. In Budalang’i, this has largely been achieved by construction of dykes of the right strength and height at the right distance from the river.
Another solution would be construction of dams to harness water for future use. The task of exploring possible solutions should proceed with urgency to ensure critical infrastructure is not damaged every rainy season.
