How does construction affect disaster risk reduction?

 Photo by Musembi Nzengu

A lot of research have been carried to examines the ways in which construction practitioners might adapt or affect the built environment. 
Most of the report notes that everyone interacts with, and is affected by, the built environment. However, the impacts of the construction either of roads or any public infrasture is considered a disasters  by the locals since it can be so profound as to wipe out years of development and investment.

In Mwingi District which is in Mwingi North constituency of Kitui county . The local are counting losses after the construction of Mwingi –Tseikuru road was started. The pot-holed Mwingi-Kyuso-Tseikuru road which was the subject of a strike by both bus and matatu crew early 2011 tarmacing has started by Chinenese company. Apart from being a development by the area Mp honourable Kalonzo Musyoka most of the farmers were forced to uproot their Mango planataion for the road expansion.

Other affected parties are business men/women who had bult along the road. There has also been reported that many resident have lost livestock and pets such as dogs and cats due to being knocked out by the road construction machinery and vehicles.This thereat is very serious expecially when there is increasing global population , urbanization , climate change and terrostist threat in area.  economic and process-related barriers to achieving built-in resilience. 

It provides the following guiding principles: 

Non-chemical Pest Management

The song is composed by Kimbithi Kya muthanga farmers field school meaning secret in the soil. This is was one of the group that benefited form Online information service on non- chemical pest managemnet in the tropics (OISAT) The project was innitiated by Arid lands information Network (ALIN) 2011 ATLA Award winner and Facilitated by Pelum-Kenya. The song explained how the training carried out by ALIN has bennefited the group and the community in general as well as sharing some few Non- chemical pest control especially using Neem leaves The project aim was to eliminate the use of hazardous pesticides, reduce overall use, risk and dependence of pesticides, and increase support for community-based control over a sustainable produced food supply. Info online: http://www.oisat.org/

Important Disemination Tool

Many people have tried different ways of disseminating information, One group in Ukamba (Kyuso district) Kenya known as Kimbithi Kya Muthanga meaning Secret in the soil have adopted using a song and poem for dissemination. The song talks about farming, soil conservation,non-chemical pest management

Meat Relief for the Hungry in Kyuso

By Musembi Nzengu and Hussein Salesa

Hunger-stricken residents of Kyuso in Mwingi north Constituency have for the last few days been treated to 'meat rations' by the Department of Livestock Production head by District Livestock Production Officer, Mr. John Wanjii.

In a programme dubbed Drought Mitigation Livestock off-take on Site Slaughter, the department buys cattle from residents, slaughters them and distributes the meat to famine-hit members of the community.

"The government has decided to cushion farmers who are likely to lose their cattle to the ravaging drought by buying cattle and slaughtering them to distribute the meat to the hungry," said Maina, DC Kyuso.

He however cautioned those whose animals have been purchased through the programme not to squander the money but keep it safely to buy other animals once the situation improves. Maina said the government was keen to ensure that no one succumbed to death due to hunger as adequate relief food was available.

Energy-Saving Stoves Project

By John Njue 

In most schools the provided food rations are prepared on the traditional three-stone open fire stove. Firewood in the urban setting is expensive and it is not unusual for urban schools to spend Kshs. 10,000-35,000 per month to cover firewood expenses. Parents are responsible for the provision of firewood at the school level. As many families survive on less than US$1 a day, the parental contribution required places a burden on the children.

In addition, studies show that excessive use of firewood and charcoal contributes to environmental degradation throughout the country. Between 1990 and 2005, Kenya lost 5%, or around 186,000 hectares, of its forest cover. Read Full Details

Prepare fodder early, for the dry season

Farmers can avoid dry fodder shortages by conserving it when it is plenty during the wet season.

If we go by recent weather forecasts, the country is likely to experience a more severe drought in the coming dry season beginning next month. Livestock farmers might face problems in getting fodder and pasture for their animals. But this should not be the case if farmers plan ahead to determine their feed requirements and take fodder conservation measures.

Farmers have been blessed with adequate rains since the beginning of the year. The rains have provided most parts of the country with plenty of pasture. It may be too late to prepare hay or silage now, but after harvest, a lot of crop residue from maize, beans and other crops will be available this month and December. A wise farmer can make good use of these residues and improve their nutritional value by properly conserving them. Read more>>

Farmer adaptations

Farmer adaptations

Many farmers are struggling to adapt to the changing climate. Joseph Meithya Kasawla, a 57 year old farmer from Kyuso, believes that people think only traditional crops such as maize grow in the region. These no longer do well with the increasingly poor rains, but many farmers are unaware that crops such as cowpeas would survive better in the drier conditions. Farmers also lack theseeds which are a critical farming input. However, some farmers are adapting by switching to fruit crops, particularly mangoes (see side bar).

The experiences in Kyuso are relevant to areas facing similar challenges:

· Farmers need information about switching to drought tolerant and fast maturing crops, and access to seeds

· It is important to promote water harvesting and demonstrate different techniques

· The storage of grain during bumper harvests is vital to provide enough food in poor seasons; processing this surplus can also add value and avoid wastage.

· Grain distribution centres, markets and local farmers can all help to improve the supply of seeds of promising cereal crops, so that people take advantage of the good seasons wherever they occur

The way to go.

Agriculture contribute very big percentage in Kenyan economy.There has been several changes in climate for the last numerous years. The rain patterns have changed, Some tree species ceased and the livelihood of people changed too.
Due to the changes agricultural techniques have changed. Most of people have started organic farming such as using manures, Non-chemical pest management and Afforestation
The programme is aimed at encouraging the farmers to adopt organic farming for better yield

Testimony of Joyce Mutiso-A Focal group members

"You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him/her to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives’’ this quote from Mr. Clay P. Bedford were the words spoken by Mrs. Joyce Mutiso After participating in a farmers’ field and exposure learning visit on seed handling and saving. ‘ALIN has helped me learn a lot from the visit’

The field and exposure-learning visit was held from 17th February 2011, it attracted participants 24 Non-governmental organization working with communities.

The exposure visit was organized by Participatory Ecological land use Management (PELUM) association and hosted by Kithio Kya Mawithyululuko and Institute for culture and Ecology (ICE)

The objective of exchange visit was to get exposure to different and diverse of seed conserved by Kithio Kya Mawithyululuko women group in Yatta, share knowledge, experience’s, lessons and creates Network as well as develop action plan of what to implements with respective groups