2 November 2009
editorial
The El Nino-like rains are finally with us and the destruction is already being felt across the country.
At the Coast, at least two people drowned at the weekend in the raging floods, while transport between Mombasa and Lamu was cut as a connecting bridge collapsed.
Already, authorities are reporting human disasters, with hundreds of people displaced and outbreaks of diseases like cholera. It is too early to predict the magnitude of the destruction, but clearly, we are headed for tough times ahead.
A couple of weeks ago, when it became apparent that El Nino rains were coming, government functionaries outlined steps they had taken to mitigate nature's adversities.
There is little evidence, however, to demonstrate that some work had been done. Food, medicine, for example are running out in areas hard hit by floods, and emergency responses are slow in coming.
In particular, the concern was how to harness the rain waters for future use.
That, instead of mourning, the torrential rains should bring blessings to us. But this meant desilting the existing dams, constructing new ones and finding better ways of conserving the running waters.
How far this has been done remains to be seen. Nevertheless, we cannot tire of urging for creativity and innovation in utilising the El Nino rains for the common good.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 The Nation. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
