Effects of droughts on the delivery of infrastructure services in Kenya

Abstract

AbstractKenya is prone to severe droughts due to infrequent, unpredictable and irregular annual precipitation in many parts of the country. Of all 47 Kenyan counties, 23 are classified as arid and semi‐arid (ASAL), constituting approximately 88% of the country's land mass. Like in many developing countries, droughts in Kenya are well known to affect provision of food. They also have the potential to affect infrastructure services. Kenya has an infrastructure deficit, meaning that a large portion of the infrastructure has not been significantly developed, being exposed to major risks emanating from natural disasters. When droughts occur, infrastructure is exposed to further risks of structural damage and deterioration, leading to increased maintenance costs. In addition, users must travel longer distances and spend more time in order to have access to infrastructure services. This paper discusses how droughts affect users of infrastructure services. The survey is based on a primary study carried out in 1370 households across 27 counties of Kenya. It also relies on secondary data, including from the Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey (KIHBS) for 2015/16, reflecting access to basic infrastructure services across the surveyed 27 counties. The research findings illustrate that droughts reduce access to infrastructure services such as energy, water provision, housing and communications, thus requiring climate‐sensitive policy interventions. The study concludes that building resilient infrastructure to respond to and mitigate the effects of drought is critical. It also emphasizes the importance of cooperation among different stakeholders in the country.