Want to stop flooding fields? Try this grass

Vetiver grass growing on a rehabilitated gully in Rift Valley. For good results, the vetiver grass is planted in single or multiple rows on the contour to form a protective barrier across the slope. [Fred Kibor, Standard]

Increasingly, the country is experiencing severe floods. General flood control measures have involved building costly drainage channels and embankments that are broken at peak flows. At farm level, the thinking should shift to slowing water from reaching rivers, and drainage channels to reduce peak flows before they cause damage.

This is where planting of vetiver grass becomes handy. Vetiver can be used strategically to reduce the amount of water in the soil, thereby allowing soils to absorb more water during the rainy season. The plants’ stiff stems reduce the flow, so the water is less likely to reach devastating peak flows that can cause destruction.