Six pillars to end drought emergencies in Kenya by 2022

The National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) has unveiled a plan to end drought by 2022, which is in line with its long term measures to curb the effects of drought in Arid and Semi and Arid Lands (ASAL).

Speaking at a Nairobi Hotel during the launch, NDMA chairperson Agnes Ndetei said droughts have become more frequent and severe affecting people between 1.5 to 3.5 million people, most of whom are poor.

With this plan in mind, NDMA has put in place mechanisms to facilitate common programming that will bring together efforts from the line Ministries, the county governments, partners and residents of drought affected areas.

The first pillar of focus is peace and security. The pillar seeks to provide a common strategy around which all stakeholders can renew their efforts to end insecurity and violence which has plagued the Arid and Semi Arid Lands for so long.

The framework consolidates and deepens past practice in peace building and conflict management by integrating peace and security structures in the devolved units. The pillar says that insecurity has led to increased vulnerability, curtailing access to resources, destroying of assets and damaging of inter-communal relations which has led to high drought impact in the areas.

The second pillar focuses on the climate proofed infrastructure; it majorly shows how deficit of climate proofed productive infrastructure and its maintenance is identified, planned and progressively addressed in a coordinated and comprehensively manner at  national, county and community level.

The framework for this pillar presents prioritization of national infrastructure projects in ASAL areas, standard guidelines for climate-proofed design infrastructure, county capacity to plan, contract and implement infrastructure.

Human capital is another emergency pillar put forth by NDMA and focuses on how to develop a healthy, skilled, innovative, resourceful and motivated human capital which is key to sustainable, resilient livelihoods and economic growth. This pillar seeks to prioritize the capacity and the number of appropriately trained and experienced professional working in ASAL.

Sustainable livelihoods is another pillar the authority has floated saying it will be useful in promoting secure and sustainable livelihoods and will help families prone to drought spread the risk and prevent the loss.

The focus of this pillar is to increase income from and consumption of livestock products through an improved animal production and health from enhanced disease surveillance, improved market linkages and private sector investment in livestock.

It also highlights issues of improved governance of land tenure, natural resources management and increased water use efficiency in ASAL agricultural production.

Drought response in Kenya has often been reactive due to a number of institutional weaknesses. To counter such, NDMA said ‘drought risk management’, which is  the 5^th pillar will be used to develop and strengthen the institutions, mechanisms and capacities to establish better platforms to address climate change.

The risk management pillar entails drought risk reduction, climate change, adaptation and social protection measures integrated into development policies, plans, budgets and activities at national and county levels to mitigate the exposure of drought.

The sixth pillar focuses on institutional development and knowledge management. It seeks to promote robust ASAL institutions to support ending of drought emergencies.

It further unveils the management and accountability structures to curb the drought, public and stakeholder awareness and the understanding built of conditions necessary to achieve drought resilience in Kenya.