MARTIN KIMEU

AGF222-0094/2019

B.SC HND

AFD 2409: DISASTER MANAGEMENT

ASSIGNMENT: APPLICATION ODF HEALTH-EDRM IN MANAGEMENT OF

FLOODING IN KENYA

Definition of Disaster: Disaster is a situation or event which overwhelms local capacity

necessitating a request to a national or international level for external assistance.

Conceptual framework of flooding

Definition: Flooding is the temporary inundation of all or part of the floodplain or temporary
localized inundation occurring when surface water runoff moves via surface flow, gutters and
sewers. It may be referred to as a comparatively high flow of water that overtops the natural or
artificial banks in any reach of stream. Flooding is also regarded as an overflow or inundation
that comes from a river or other body of water and causes or threatens to damage.

Causes of Flooding: Flood is a result of many conditions working singly and in synergy. These
conditions are mainly natural and anthropogenic.

Natural causes of flooding are generally a result of heavy rain and downpour. Anthropogenic
causes of flooding are enhanced by human activities, that is, flooding in terms of environmental
hazard is not totally a physical phenomenon. Floods only become a hazard when they impinge
unfavorably upon human activity, mostly due to built-infrastructure along floodplains and
coastlines. The encroachment of buildings on floodplains through towns and cities and the
depositing of waste materials creating blockage can facilitate flooding. In combination, poor city
planning and management, in addition to natural rain-induced causes, can be detrimental in an
urban setting.
Six general causes of flooding specific to Kenya, include: (1) heavy rainfall (i.e., a tropical
climate combined with a relating wet season); (2) soil nature (i.e., poor infiltration of rainwater
flow and soil percolation); (3) deforestation (i.e., increased forest and vegetation removal,
especially within lowlands and valley beds); (4) climate change (5) poor waste disposal (i.e.,
blockage of drainage channels, especially in urban centers); and (6) poor land use policy
planning and management (i.e., improper sitting of buildings, structures, road and drainage
construction and land use ordering).

Health-EDRM in flood management

Policies, strategies and legislation in flood management

Floods management can help at far to prevent destruction of properties, loss of livelihoods and
protection of lives. Some of the policies which can employed in this process could be;
mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

1. Mitigation
 Conduct a vulnerability analysis. Hydrologic and hydraulic modeling programs can
help estimate current flood risk and potential future risk with climate induced changes
while presenting the data in an easy-to-understand graphical format. This involves
modelling to indicate where flood-prone areas are located, which can then be
confirmed with past observations and used to evaluate alternatives to minimize
flooding.
 Implement Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This will help to document
historic and existing conditions of stormwater management systems and natural
streams alike. This information can serve as the foundation for hydrologic and
hydraulic modeling, and even provide an inventory of the community's assets and
infrastructure most vulnerable to flooding.
 Implement mitigation projects. These projects include traditional and innovative
practices, and can consist of levees, floodwalls, impoundments, improved
conveyances, wetland restoration, acquisition of flood-prone properties, and even
stormwater harvest and reuse. 
2. Preparedness
Preparedness involves activities which achieve a sense of readiness for the flood
emergency. These activities include:
i) Develop a plan. This involves engaging neighboring communities and all parties
expected to contribute to the response process so they can provide useful feedback
and understand their role. Ensure flooding related issues and projects are identified in
the plan to ensure eligibility for FEMA related funding programs.
ii) Conducting an emergency exercise to identify deficiencies in the plan and updating it
accordingly. Like the planning process, engage neighboring communities who can
provide mutual benefits by sharing and/or swapping critical resources.
iii) Utilize emergency warning systems. Learn what information is available to help you
predict flooding conditions. With an extensive network of stream and precipitation
gauges throughout the country, it is likely that publicly available information can be
used to help your community.
iv) Document existing infrastructure to ensure that existing storm sewer system enabled
them to make sure inlets were cleared ahead of the recent rainfall events.
v) Provide proper maintenance. Make sure drainage structures are cleared to allow
water to be intercepted and conveyed as intended. 
vi) Stockpile materials. These materials typically include pumps, sandbags, and earth
fill for temporary levees, but it should also include food, water, and clean-up kits.

3. Response
The response phase of emergency flood management involves providing immediate
assistance, such as emergency relief and search and rescue.
4. Recovery
These actions of recoveries are meant to bring connection emergency and normalcy.
These actions can include providing temporary housing, reconstruction, event counseling,
and education.
 Strategies in flood management
There are two categories of flood management strategies, hard engineering and soft
engineering. Hard engineering tends to be more expensive and uses more raw materials to
build structures that alter the existing environment. Soft engineering works with the
natural environment to prevent flooding.
Hard engineering include: dams, diversion spillways, levees, wing dykes and channel
straightening. Soft engineering strategies include; river restoration, wetland restoration,
afforestation, floodplain zoning.

Planning and coordination in floods management

Planning involves activities such as;

Structural measures such as flood moderation reservoirs, floodwalls and bypass channels reduce
the probability or degree of exposure of flooding through appropriate operation. Operational
rules for such structural measures should be carefully planned in accordance with flood discharge
into reservoirs, including discharge from extreme rainfall. Some these activities may involve,
erecting temporary structures, building sandbag walls and protecting sensitive infrastructure and
livelihoods. Planning also involve ensuring enough emergency kits are distributed to different
centers of the area prior to emergency.

Before the floods emergency, government, non-governmental agencies and health sectors should
work together by ensuring proper communication on the risks to be faced. Health sector should
be resourced during surveillance of the affected areas and affected population. Coordination
ensures that the problem does not hit hard.

Human resources involved flood management

 This includes human force needed in operation of flood management and includes
managing units and executive units. Staff to be involved in flood management are divided
into: Government ministries, departments and agencies;

 Flood-prone communities;

 Other basin communities;

  Scientific institutions;

 Registered NGOs;

 Voluntary organizations;

 The private sector.

Flood-prone communities are at the core of all flood management activities and are major
stakeholders. In addition, other basin communities also influence flood risks through land use
change and can play an important role. The behavior of communities involved in watershed and
forest management can also influence flood management policies and practices in the basin.
Communities affected occasionally by controlled flooding aimed at preventing flooding of
strategic areas should also form part of flood-prone groups. NGOs can influence the behavior of
stakeholders, particularly basin communities, by building awareness and disseminating
information and can help flood-prone communities organize themselves. Technical NGOs can
provide information about the complex and uncertain state of knowledge and processes to the
man on the streets in readily understandable language and help them voice their concerns. They
can also provide important input by presenting unbiased scientific studies. In flood emergency
situations a number of humanitarian and voluntary organizations come forward and play a crucial
role during emergency response. Similarly, the private sector, which is directly or indirectly
affected by flooding is an important stakeholder.

Financial resources

during emergencies government has obligation to fund sectors like health sectors and other
sectors in preparedness od the emergency. This includes funding projects of building barriers like
levees and clearing waterways. Funding the projects involves documentation of economic
impacts of various past emergencies on health and health system.

Information and knowledge management

This involves digging on past events of disasters on the impacts of disease and the losses
incurred and the measures taken towards mitigation of the problem, which also involves
communication to the community or public. Information across on health sector, and funding
sectors. This involves conducting research on number of affected, capacity of health services
needed on the past experience and staffing needed in the health sector. After collection of this
information of the staff is done following dissemination of the information to the public.

Risk communication

The purpose of risk communication is to enable people at risk to make informed decisions to
mitigate the effects of a threat (hazard). The translation of risk for a more effective risk
communication between scientists and professionals is one of the main gaps in flood risk
management. To this regard, Faulkner et al. (2007) proposed the concept of translational
discourse in flood risk communication with the aim of maximizing the facilitation of the
decision-making process in flood risk management.

The different stages of the framework include familiarization between the two domains, tool
development, and joint promotions. To achieve familiarization, agreement over the definition of
contested terms, development of a shared language, and agreement over the goals of risk
communication need to be established. The second stage involves mutual training and exchange
of information over tools and their applicability in flood risk management. This can be achieved
through demonstration activities, joint development of methods and tools, professional papers,
and manuals. The third stage involves developing an effective plan of application for the
outcomes of the first two stages. This will require joint promotion by scientist and professionals
through workshops, working papers, and tool demonstrations. The proposed concept aims to
provide a method that will lead to effective communication and minimize the loss of information
passing from scientist to professionals saddled with risk management decisions.

For the purpose of risk communication to the public, risk can be defined in terms of two
components: hazard and outrage. Hazard, in this case, refers to the technical side of risk such as
the magnitude and probability of events while outrage is the social context of the risk involving
values and emotions of the public. The level of hazard and outrage dictates the appropriate type
of risk communication approach.
Health infrastructure and logistics

This involves developing and setting up safe and sound health facilities, including improving bed
capacities for inpatient services patients hit hard by the floods. This enabled by properly funding
the health sector and increasing the staffing in the facilities. t. Many basic services, such as
water, sanitation and energy, upon which health and health services depend, should be available
and continue to function before, during and after an event occurs. Supporting logistics will
include stockpiling and prepositioning of medicines and supplies, effective supply chains, and
reliable transportation and telecommunications systems.

Monitoring and evaluation

Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is a crucial aspect of floods management as it allows
authorities and organizations to assess the effectiveness of their flood management strategies and
interventions. M&E helps in understanding the impacts of floods, the success of response
measures, and the identification of areas for improvement. Here's how monitoring and evaluation
are essential in floods management:

1. Assessing Vulnerability: Monitoring data can help identify areas that are more
susceptible to flooding, such as low-lying regions, floodplains, or areas with poor
drainage systems. This information aids in understanding the vulnerability of
communities and infrastructures to floods.

2. Early Warning Systems: M&E systems are critical for early warning systems. By
monitoring rainfall, river levels, and other relevant indicators, authorities can issue timely
warnings to communities, giving them more time to prepare and evacuate if necessary.

3. Effectiveness of Mitigation Measures: Flood management often involves implementing

various mitigation measures like building flood barriers, improving drainage systems, or
creating reservoirs. M&E allows for assessing the effectiveness of these measures and
identifying any gaps or weaknesses.
4. Response and Recovery Assessment: After a flood event, M&E helps assess the
response and recovery efforts. It enables authorities to determine whether their
emergency response plans were effective, what could be improved, and how to better
allocate resources for recovery.

5. Data for Decision Making: Monitoring provides real-time data, which is essential for
making informed decisions during flood events. It helps authorities understand the scale
and severity of the flooding, allowing them to prioritize resources and response efforts.

6. Identifying Trends and Patterns: Long-term monitoring data can reveal trends and
patterns in flooding occurrences, helping policymakers and planners understand climate
change impacts and plan for future floods.

7. Resource Allocation and Budgeting: M&E data allows for better resource allocation
and budgeting. By understanding the most vulnerable areas and the effectiveness of past
measures, decision-makers can prioritize investments and allocate funds where they are
most needed.

8. Accountability and Learning: M&E fosters accountability by providing objective

evidence of flood management performance. It also enables a learning process, where
successes and failures can be analyzed, and best practices can be identified and shared.

9. Community Engagement: M&E can involve local communities in flood management.

Engaging the community in data collection and analysis empowers them to take an active
role in their own resilience and preparedness efforts.

10. Policy and Legislation: Data from M&E can influence policy development and
legislative changes. Evidence-based decision-making leads to more effective flood
management strategies and regulations.
References

1. WHO, Health-Emergency disaster and risk management framework.

2. Wilby, R. and R. Keenan (2012), “Adapting to flood risk under climate change”, Progress in
Physical Geography, Vol. 36 (3), pp. 348–378, Sage.