Nairobi — The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) is set to constitute a multi-agency team to enforce the Extended Producer Responsibility protocol in waste management in a bid to avert flooding.

Under the plan, NEMA will require producers to present commitments on how they will unclog rivers and drainage systems across the country in line with solid waste management regulations.

NEMA's Director of Compliance, Dr Ayub Macharia, said on Tuesday said the agency's El Nino preparedness initiative seeks to forestall emergencies likely to arise from flooding.

The Meteorological Department has projected the onset of El Nino rains from October, warning of potential flooding and landslides in parts of the country.

David Gikungu, the Director General of the Department, in a news conference in August, emphasized on the importance of proactive preparations by the relevant government agencies to mitigate possible deaths and loss of property.

"The short rains during the period will have both negative and positive impacts across various sectors hence there is a need for adequate preparations," Gikungu said.

The Kenya Red Cross has since initiated coordination measures to facilitate effective preparedness in anticipation of the upcoming rains.

El Niño rains represent a climatic phenomenon capable of inducing notable alterations in worldwide weather patterns, resulting in amplified rainfall within specific regions.

The elevation of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean defines the meteorological event.