Why?
The project aims to reduce the impact of natural hazards on vulnerable community members. It increases the resilience of communities to disasters, climate change and environmental degradation. The project also increases the capacity of civil society organisations (CSO’s) to cope with these natural hazards. Natural hazards have been increasing in frequency and severity, especially floods and droughts. These periods of intense droughts have caused severe crop losses, famine and population displacement. The increased variablity of precipitation expected in Kenya due to climate change will greatly impact health, as floods increase diarrhoeal and vector diseases while droughts result in poor personal hygiene. Communities in the Ewaso Nyiro North River basin are increasingly vulnerable to natural hazards as their livelihoods have weakened and environmetal damage continues to be inflicted on the ecosystem. The targeted communities live on the downstream part of the Ewaso Nyiro North River Basin in Northern Kenya.
What?
The programme improves the livelihoods of the communities by supporting environmentally sustainable methods of pastoralism and restoring the ecosystem, and also developing community based disaster risk plans. Civil soceity organizations will be targeted to enhance their coordination and action in response to the natural hazards and enhance policies where required.
Who?
The programme will target farmers relying on livestock and agriculture living on the downstream part of the Ewaso Nyiro North River Basin. These farmers move from place to place in search of water and pastures and their livelihoods depend fully on the availability of water from the river basin, which is regrettably decreasing. The implementing partners are The Kenya Red Cross Soceity, Wetlands International Kenya and other local NGO’s. The project is organized by the ‘Partners For Resilience’, which The Netherlands Red Cross is a member of.