EFFECTIVENESS OF DROUGHT MITIGATION MEASURES TAKEN BY NATIONAL DROUGHT MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY IN ISIOLO COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Drought is a climate variability that happens seasonally, maybe multilayer or multi-decade, that causes variation in precipitation and temperature rise, hence causing droughts across the world. Drought remains one of the leading courses of conflict in ASAL counties such as Isiolo, even as agencies such as the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) seek to impact and reduce the risks associated with drought. This study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation measures by NDMA in drought mitigation in Isiolo County, Kenya. Specifically, the study sought to identify the mitigation measures taken by NDMA in Isiolo County, Kenya and establish the effectiveness of the mitigation measures. The study employed a descriptive survey design and, through a census, sampled 20 respondents drawn from different technical staff at NDMA and other organizations supporting drought mitigation in the area. Through a structured questionnaire, the study collected primary data that were analyzed through descriptive statistics that included frequencies and percentages, while inferential statistics used multi-linear regression analysis. The study established that water harvesting, social protection programs, and early warning systems statistically contributed to effective mitigation of drought in Isiolo County, Kenya while soil conservation and afforestation did not statistically contribute to effective mitigation of drought in the county. Soil conservation and early warning systems were the most excellent NDMA drought mitigation measures, followed by afforestation and then water harvesting. There is a need for NDMA to identify how they can implement the most effective NDMA drought mitigation measures in order to reduce the impact of drought in the area. NDMA should work closely with other stakeholders to ensure that the drought measures are not only effective but also address the community’s unique drought needs. Lastly, there is a need to evaluate reasons why afforestation and water harvesting are not significant in effective mitigation of drought and establish ways that they can be better implemented.