Enhancing household response to flooding in Mavoko periurban settlements of Nairobi metropolis, Kenya

Abstract

Residents of peri-urban and informal settlements are reported to have developed disaster coping mechanisms where in addition to relying on external support, local community members are able to mobilise logistics for emergency operations and humanitarian support relying on social capital like reciprocal support among neighbours, immediate family members and wider kinship networks. However, as settlement activities in peri-urban areas increase, flooding incidents have been observed to escalate with a noted incease in the magitude of damage and the degree of emergency and humanitarian support required for the victims. The objective of this paper was to explore intervention measures that would enhance homeowners’ response to flooding in Mavoko. The study targeted heads of household; the general public; officials of government and quasi-government institutions as well as professional and residents associations responsible for environment, settlement and disaster mitigation; leaders of religeous and community organisations and societies responsible for emergency management and humanitarian support in Machakos and Nairobi Counties. The study took a survey design and used multistage random, snowballing, purposive and quota sampling techniques to identify participants. The study used mixed methods to collect quantitative and qualitative data using questionnaire, interview guide, document analysis, focus group discussions and observation. Data were analysed through descriptive analysis, Nomothetic evaluation and Chi-square test (at α = 0.05). The study revealed that there was a significant relationship between changing the respondents’ environmental attitude and the level of humanitarian support given to victims of flooding. It also revealed that that establishing security villages, empowering household members, initiating social inclusion programmes, forming community and volunteer groups and establishing strong and effective local leadership had a significant effect on shaping the participants’ environmental attitude.