Reconciling multiple forms of flood risk knowledge and institutional responses: Insights from Kampala's flood management regime

Abstract

In 2015, Kampala City inaugurated the Drainage Master Plan (DMP), a flood risk policy to effectively manage recurrent urban flooding. Despite the DMP's salient interventions proffered by various urban actors and government institutions, the city experienced the worst sporadic flood events between 2019 and 2020. This paper interrogates the ineffectiveness of Kampala's flood policy in managing emerging and future flood risks with respect to flood management interventions and stakeholder involvement. Specifically, this research reconciles institutional practices in mitigating flood risks and further interrogates multiple forms of flood risk knowledge that inform flood risk policy. The study draws on multiple qualitative methods such as semi-structured expert interviews, a web-based survey and document review to better understand institutional responses to flooding and the role of urban actors and institutions. The findings reveal that Kampala's recent governance rearrangements led to an increased financial benefit that redefined drainage infrastructure. However, the drainage improvement initiatives have not significantly improved flood risk management due to a shift in institutional priorities, changing flood risk drivers, political interference and uncoordinated flood risk interventions among stakeholders. The paper calls for a rethink of the role of governmental-urban actors' engagements and coordination to enable effective flood risk policy formulation.