Strengths, Weaknesses and Opportunities of Collaborative and Integrated Approaches in Droughts and Floods Management in Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands

Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) areas experience recurrent climate extremes, particularly prolonged droughts and episodic floods, which significantly undermine livelihoods, food security, and ecosystem stability. Increasing climate variability has intensified the frequency and severity of the weather hazards, exposing communities to food insecurity, livestock losses, displacement, and persistent poverty. Management of droughts and floods has largely been done in isolation formats that have ultimately largely missed out on integrated approaches, resulting in absence of capacity building of the affected communities to take proactive and sustainable measures. This study shares findings from a study set to examine approaches to droughts and floods management in Kenya's ASALs, focusing on the role of community practices, and stakeholder collaboration in the semi-arid area of Ikanga-Kyatune Ward of Kitui County, Kenya. The research also aimed to establish the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities in collaborative approaches. 71 people from the community and stakeholders were interviewed, and descriptive statistics used to analyze the accrued data. The study found that despite the challenges posed by the multi-stakeholder approach, working together raises opportunities for integrated ways out in management of droughts and floods, and building adaptive capacities that promotes resilience through coordinated early warning systems, livelihood diversification, and infrastructure investments. The study recommends encouragement of collaborative and integrated frameworks that also take cognizance of indigenous knowledge. Strengthening the approaches can help transform reactive disaster response into proactive risk management.

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