Severe flash floods that struck Nairobi over the weekend have reignited debate about urban planning, drainage systems and environmental management. Speaking to Citizen TV, experts and officials have pointed to years of unchecked development, blocked waterways and pressure on the city’s ageing infrastructure. “When allowing buildings, officials should look at how much the development is likely to contribute to the water run off and how to deal with it,” he said. Urban planners, he added, must start flood management at the level of individual developments by capturing and managing storm water before it overwhelms the wider drainage system. “We really have to deal with drainage system.
