Discussion Paper No. 217 of 2019 on Governance and Coordination in Management of Drought and Floods Disasters

Abstract

Drought and floods are among the most common disasters experienced in Kenya. They cause devastating impacts on human communities, their socioeconomic and environmental support base, with consequences being felt at the household, community, and national levels. This paper examines governance and coordination in managing drought and floods disasters in terms of preparedness, response, and recovery activities undertaken by different actors. Governance and coordination are important processes in the management of drought and floods disasters. Management of drought and floods disasters in Kenya had for a long time been undertaken without a coordination framework until 2018 when the Kenya National Disaster Management Policy (2018) was passed. The objective of this paper is to examine the role of various actors involved in managing drought and floods disasters, identify gaps in coordination among actors involved in managing drought and floods disasters and make recommendations on how to effectively manage drought and floods disasters.