The Tana River County Government has launched a review of its Flood Early Warning Communication Strategy with the aim of expanding it into a comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Communication Strategy that will address all major disasters affecting the county.
The revised strategy seeks to improve the way early warning information is communicated to residents during emergencies, including floods, drought, strong winds, disease outbreaks, livestock diseases, and human-wildlife conflict.
The review is being spearheaded by the Tana River County Government’s Department of Communication in collaboration with the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research andAnalysis (KIPPRA). Experts from KIPPRA are facilitating the exercise to ensure the strategy aligns with current disaster risks and best practices in disaster communication.
The five-day workshop has brought together officials from the departments of Disaster Management and Special Programmes, Health, Agriculture, Fisheries, Climate Change, Communication, Finance and Planning. Also participating are development partners, Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction (CMDRR) groups, and representatives from local radio stations.
The primary objective of the strategy is to strengthen early warning communication systems, improve coordination among government institutions and stakeholders, and ensure that residents receive accurate, timely and easy-to-understand information to enable them to take preventive action before disasters strike.
County officials say the enhanced communication framework will help communities prepare for emergencies, reduce the loss of lives and property, and strengthen resilience against the growing impacts of climate change and other disasters.
The review exercise, which is expected to run for five days, is funded by the Kenya Red Cross Society through the Early Action to Climate-Induced Disasters Project. The project is supported by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) through the Finnish Red Cross, in partnership with other disaster management stakeholders in Kenya.
