Natural disasters in_kenya_ppt_jack abebe

Historical Perspective of Disasters in Kenya

Lessons LearnedJack Abebe

PhD Candidate

Masinde Muliro University

Outline

Historical data (1900 – 2005) Disaster type Casualties Response Mitigation Lessons learned Way forward

Historical data

Date Disaster Region (Kenya)

Casualties Response Remarks

1896 - 1900

- Famine

- Locust

- Rinderpest

Central and Eastern

25 – 75 % of pop. in some areas

- Uganda Railway construction

1913 - 1919

- Famine Coast and Eastern

- - - WW1

- Giriama

rebellion

1933 - 1934

- Great

famine

Coast and Central

50 % loss of livestock

- Forced

destocking

- Soil

conservation

Demo sites set up in Machakos and Baringo



1942 - 1944

Famine Countywide Approx. 200 people

- WW2

Military demand for food

1952 - 1955

-Drought

- Famine

Central Over 50% of the pop.

Concentration camps

Mau Mau rebellion

State of emergency declared

1960 - 1961

Heavy Floods

Rift Valley, Eastern, Nyanza

70 – 80 % loss of Maasai cattle

- Widespread crop failure

10m pounds spent on food relief

- rescue operations by air

Political campaigns



1965 Famine Countrywide 600,000 people

affected

US, WFP donation (yellow maize)

- Policy reform in agric. sector

Establishment of Kenya Freedom From Hunger Council

1973 - 1974

Drought Countrywide 150,000 people affected

-Food aid

- Livestock restocking

M/East war led to sharp rise in oil prices

1975 Floods Countrywide L. Victoria basin most affected

- - Damage of roads and property



1975 Terrorism -

bomb blast

Nairobi - OTC bus

27 Government investigation

Political instability

1977 Floods

Landslides

Rift Valley Damage to Maize and wheat crop

- -

1981 Terrorism – bomb blast

Nairobi -Norfolk hotel

5 International investigation

Linked to M/East crisis

1983 - 1984

Drought Countrywide Over 600,000 people affected

Over 50% loss of livestock

-International appeal for food relief

- setting up of strategic food reserve

President promotes

Soil con-servation and tree planting



1992 - 1993

Drought Countrywide -2.7 M people affected

- 70% of livestock lost

-food importation

-Int. appeal for food aid

-Setting up of the Dept. of Relief and Rehabilitation

Collapse of agricultural institutions blamed for food insecurity

1994 Ferry accident

Mombasa 270 dead Rescue operations by the Navy and Ports authority

Overloading and faulty engine blamed



1997 - 1998

Floods –

El Nino

Country-wide L.Victoria basin most affected

- 1.5 million people affected

- Damage to infrastructure and property

- Damage to crops

- relief supplies / air drops by GOK, UN, NGOs - Setting up El Nino Emergency Project and Disaster Coordination Office at OP

Outbreak of water borne diseases

1998 Terrorist attack – bomb blast

Nairobi –US embassy

214 dead 5,600 injured

Army involved in rescue operations –International support

Restrictions on border entry points



1999 - 2000

Drought Country-wide

4.4 million people affected

-livestock deaths and crop failure

-Relief supplies

- Setting up of emergency diesel power generators

-economy affected by power rationing

- Diversification of power generation National food security policy revisited

2001 HIV/Aids Country-wide

-Over 2 million affected (600 dying daily) - - Hospital bed occupancy about 50 %

-Donor support

-Setting up National Aids Control Council

-Research

HIV/Aids declared a national disaster by the President

-Labour force severely affected



2004 Landslides Nyeri district

5 dead Rescue by local communities

Landslides in Kenya not yet fully studied

2004 Food Poisoning (Alfatoxin)

Makueni, Machakos Kitui districts

82 dead hundreds hospitalized

-Medical supplies

-Food inspection

-Public awareness campaigns

-Food traders blamed for the poisoning

-WFP denies that it donated the food

2005 Alcohol poisoning

Machakos Over 50 dead scores blinded

Medication

Crackdown on illicit brew

Indication of poverty level

Source : CBS, WFP, CETRAD, National Disaster Management Agency

Lessons Learned

• Major disasters ?

• Emerging disasters ?

• Contributing factors ?

• Compounding factors ?

• Trends / Patterns ?

• Management capacity ?

Lessons Learned….Major disasters • Famine• Floods• Disease epidemics• Traffic accidents

Emerging disaster• Fires• Landslides• Invasive species• Terrorism• Food poisoning• Tsunami?

Contributing factors:

Climatic variability Population increase Land degradation Global warming?

Compounding factors: Political instability / Insecurity Poverty Communication network

Trends / Pattern• Increase in frequency

• Increase in magnitude and severity - increase in loss of life and vulnerable

population

- increase in loss of property and damage

to infrastructure

Disaster Management Capacity

Policy ( in process) Institutional framework (coordination) Undeveloped SDI (formative stage) Low budgetary support Breakdown of traditional institutions and

knowledge

* Lack of comprehensive preparedness

(EWS), response, mitigation, prevention)

* Reactive / emergency response

* Over dependence on external aid

Food Security Monitoring

Food Security Risk Assessment

Flood Risk Assessment

Challenges Policy formulation Institutional framework Development of SDI (R&D) Mainstreaming of Geo-info in DSS Capacity building Budgetary support Regional collaboration Conflict resolution

Opportunities Existing institutions / UniversitiesTrained manpowerAvailability of free data sources Public awareness Improved communication network (ICT) Regional organizations (EAC, IGAD,

SADC, AU, UN system etc) Relative political stability in the region Networking and linkages

Way Forward

Building on the existing capacity and opportunities

EndQuestions are Welcome

Thank You!

Business

Natural disasters in_kenya_ppt_jack abebe