Human Health and Irrigation Development in Kenya

Abstract

The human health threats posed by irrigation development have made it necessary to understand the consequences of local environmental changes on the economic and social well-being of people. Local environmental changes and the human health risks associated with them are commonly attributed to the improper understanding of the complex processes involved in the construction of irrigation systems. In this respect, while it is necessary to recognize that the environmental and health problems associated with irrigated agriculture constitute an unnecessary evil, such schemes have often been constructed not without good intentions. Such intentions include the interest of societal welfare at large, bearing in mind that the negative consequences could either be avoided or minimised by introducing appropriate corrective measures.