El Nino should be treated as a blessing in disguise

The Kenya Meteorological Service has warned of the impeding El Nino rains starting mid next month. It says its effects could be severe compared to the occurrence of 1997 and 1998.

As a mitigation measure, the national and county governments have laid strategies to deal with the expected El Nino.

Recently, Deputy President William Ruto revealed that the Government has set aside Sh5 billion to mitigate the expected destruction. The money is expected to be used on infrastructure, agriculture and relocation of people from areas prone to mudslides and floods. This came out after deliberations for a planned response strategy during a Cabinet meeting.

Nairobi County has also come up with strategies to deal with the expected El Nino. Last week, Nairobi county executive member for Roads and Transport Adbulahi Mohamed reported that the county government was hiring youth to clear the clogged drainage systems and expand the out-falls.

Also a process is under way to map out the flood-prone areas in the city.

There are also plans by other counties, which have experienced devastating effects of El Nino before.

But after being proactive in dealing with disasters, a question should be raised on how we intend to maximise the water resulting from the expected El Nino. As the governments anticipate destruction, strategies should be put in place to harvest the water.

Many Kenyans have no access to clean water, especially in the arid and semi-arid areas. The areas occasionally get rains, but the water is allowed to drain away. Water harvesting and management efforts can help solve water shortages in such regions.

The Government has put more emphasis on infrastructure, agriculture and relocation of people, but nothing about water harvesting.

Most areas in Kenya have been hit by drought before, so this El Nino should be interpreted as a blessing in disguise. Underground water reservoirs and dams can be constructed to collect the flooding water to be used for agriculture. It can also be treated for human consumption.

Farmers should also be taught on how to deal with soil erosion. In most cases, the fertile soil is swept way leaving the land bare. This has lowered the farm yields in many regions.

The Government should also encourage the farmers to insure their property in case of losses.