Social impacts of floods in Kenya include poor health due to contamination of water resources, sewerage problems etc. This emphasises the importance of social preparedness, that is knowledge and capacities of different stakeholders to anticipate, prepare themselves, and respond to an imminent flood risks for efficient flood risk reduction, especially in flood-prone areas. SHIFTThere must be a shift from a reactive to a proactive approach in dealing with flood disasters. Local communities need to be linked to platforms which can allow them to access daily line messages and information about the rainfall and the imminence of flooding. Communities also need additional investment to mainstream disaster risk reduction into development practices, plans and policies at devolved to the grassroots levels in the localities that are vulnerable to floods.

Source: Daily Nation November 12, 2019 08:25 UTC