Nakuru County, home to nature’s treasures, has stood tall on the foundation of its booming tourism economy.
From the magical flamingos to the wild animals, breathtaking sceneries, and the national park itself, Nakuru has all the bragging rights. However, behind this scenic postcard lies an unpleasant surprise: a growing crisis affecting Nakuru residents. Nakuru has recently witnessed myriads of hazards, including rising water levels, land subsidence, and drought, to mention a few.
The story of residents living near Lake Nakuru is a heartbreaking one.
“The lake waters used to be 10 KM away from our land. We never thought it would extend this far. It came as surprise,” said one of the residents affected. The pain in her eyes while staring at the remains of a place she once called home was unbearable to see.
Apart from the rising lake water levels, Nakuru faces a plethora of hazards. Residents of Kaptembwa and Barut, among others, are waking up to cracked walls, uneven floors, and sunken houses as the ground gives way along the active fault line. Although the active fault line is not news, it is surprising to see new development projects coming up along this zone.
Is it that we never learn, or have we perfected the art of negligence?
This complex reality prompted Molly Gilmour, PhD and Peter McGowran , in collaboration with Mark Kuyo Ojal, PhD. and Gaplink International (Tom Mboya Ochieng’, charity chelangat, Faith Bungei, Andrew Baraza, and Denis Ajimba), to undertake a research project focused on Multi-Hazard Household Preparedness in Nakuru.
We wanted to understand how the families are coping. Are they prepared? What do they know? What actions have they undertaken? What actions do they wish to undertake but lack the resources to actualize?
During this study, we deeply connected with the resident, listening to their stories, some of hope, others of resilience. One thing is certain: the gap in multi-hazards household preparedness is huge and wide. The lack of resources to prepare adequately was also clear. Based on our findings, we argue that stakeholders should embrace the shift from single-hazard approaches to multi-hazard preparedness. Floods do not consult land subsidence on when to strike. Similarly, drought neither waits for the land to stabilize nor the water levels of the lake to recede.
The story of Nakuru and her residents serves both as a warning and a guide even as the effects of climate change become more pronounced. It reminds us that building resilience demands collaborative efforts from all stakeholders, including residents, policymakers, the local government, and the national and regional authorities. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. A holistic approach is premised on listening, learning, and preparing for the full picture. Multi-hazard preparedness isn’t just good practice. It is a matter of survival.
What do you think about multi-hazard preparedness?
