NAIROBI, KENYA, 12 December 2011 – Following the recent drought emergency in the Horn of Africa, the Kenyan government has embarked on an ambitious program to mitigate the impacts of similar disasters in the future. The effort is informed by a government-led Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA), used for assessing damages, losses and needs, including human recovery needs. It is supported by development partners and is being conducted for the first time in Kenya. The key sectors covered by the assessment include agriculture, livestock development, water and sanitation, energy, environment, industry and commerce, tourism/forestry, education and health. Ultimately, this initiative will assess the drought’s economic, social and human impact and inform how recovery can strengthen communities in Kenya.
Preparing Government Officials and Development Agencies to Assess Damage and Loss
After the joint World Bank/Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), European Union and United Nations three-day intensive PDNA training held in mid-November 2011 (details below), the government sent out key officers into the field to conduct a holistic assessment of the damages and losses caused by the drought in order to improve its policy on investment priorities and resource allocation.
In addition to the 45 government officials from 18 government ministries and agencies, the PDNA training brought together over 40 participants from several other partner organizations, altogether covering 13 sectors and cross-cutting issues. Alongside the Kenyan government, there were other agencies that participated in the training: the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Regional Center for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), Moi University, Food for Hungry, Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Kenya, after Djibouti and Uganda, is the third country of those impacted by the drought in the Horn of Africa to undertake such an assessment. The recent drought has affected over 13.3 million people in the Horn, including 3.7 million Kenyans in seven counties. Kenya’s Ministry of Livestock estimates that half of the eight million cattle in the areas worst hit by drought have died or are beyond recovery, drastically impacting the principal livelihoods of households in these areas.
The final report, expected in two month’s time, will be used by the government to better target resources for needy communities and sectors. It will focus on long-term solutions based on realities on the ground in line with recommendations of the Horn of Africa Summit, an event chaired by the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Valerie Amos. Its intent was to raise awareness of the scale and urgency of the humanitarian situation in the region and held in Nairobi during September 2011 with leaders from more than 60 countries.
Looking Ahead
The Kenyan government has faced many disasters in the past but did not have a comprehensive, uniform (across all sectors of the economy), and time-tested methodology to conduct such an assessment.
"We were asked in the field regarding how this assessment was different from the usual rapid assessments that are undertaken after each drought. My answer to them was that we are now able to cost and quantity the different dimensions of the damages and losses and hence better understand the impact of the disaster and the best response to it. This is an in-depth sectoral analysis of the impact to the sector in terms of loss, stagnation and destruction of development" said Mary Mwal (PDNA Training Participant); Drought Management Coordinator; Ministry of Northern Kenya & Other Arid Lands; Government of Kenya.
The PDNA will enable Kenya to undertake similar assessments in the future and strengthen the capacity of the government to verify and analyze data. "This is a very important initiative that will enable the Government of Kenya and its partners to evaluate the impacts of the drought while paving the way towards long-term recovery and resilience" said Nathan Belete, Sector Leader, The World Bank. It will also identify areas that require stronger capacity, institutions and legal structures. The PDNA is an example of how important partnerships are during disasters―several development partners working hand-in-hand in a government-led exercise, for a unified assessment that will focus on longer-term disaster risk and drought management in Kenya.
Article and photos courtesy of Roshin Joseph. For more information, please contact Christina Irene at cirene@worldbank.org