| dc.description.abstract | The first and primary responsibility of government, no matter what form that government
takes, is to protect the health, safety and well being of its citizens. Minimizing risk and
vulnerability from natural and human induced hazards falls directly into that responsibility.
Urban settlements have increasingly become vulnerable from the effects of disasters. The
migration of population to urban areas increases human vulnerability as population densities
increase, infrastructure becomes overloaded, living areas move closer to potentially
dangerous industries, and more settlements are built in fragile areas such as floodplains,
beachfronts or areas prone to landslides. Technical advances are supposed to, and do,
improve safety against disasters, but they also bring about increased human error and, in their
abuse, terrorist activities. As a result, catastrophes affect more people and economic losses
mcrease.
While these concerns have always been there, they have now greatly expanded and a new ,
dime~ion added after a series of global events such as the Nairobi Bomb Blast of 1998, the
New York terrorist attack of 2001, the Indian Ocean Tsunami on 2004 and the Hurricane
Katrina deluge on New Orleans in 2005. In all the cases the losses were incalculable. Urban
Planners and Designers have never been so much under pressure to make a contribution in
makinghuman settlements safer.
International effort has recently shifted from emphasis on response to prevention. This is out
of the realization that every urban planning decision has implications for disaster mitigation.
Nationally, these global events coupled with local ones such as the incessant flooding at
Budalangi in Western Kenya, the EI-Nino phenomenon of 1997/1998 and the Paradise Hotel
bombing in 2002 in Mombasa, have jolted the Government into instituting several policy
measures including the formation of a National Disaster Operation Centre (NDOC) with a
view to institutionalising preparedness against future disasters.
This study has localised these global and national efforts by analysing the disaster
preparedness of the Island City of Mombasa. It is premised on the fact that only at the local
level are there developmental and legal tools required to implement such an effort,
particularly the physical planning/development process. The study was carried out by first
developing a conceptual framework on disaster preparedness through a review of related
literature. A Vulnerability Index, which was the basis of sampling the action areas, was then
developed for the whole Municipa-lity of Mo.mbasa at the lowest administrative (sub-location)
level by using a combination of three indicators &f vulnerability namely; population density,
development density and poverty levels. This indicated that the Island City was more
vulnerable than its mainland parts. NeA1the study analysed the vulnerability of the Island
City using three contingent conditions; its physiographic setting, its socio-economic
characteristics and its land use patterns. The preparedness services in the Island including
medical facilities, police stations, fire fighting installations, green and open spaces, accesses
and institutional frameworks were then evaluated to gauge their mitigative role. Public
awareness is central in any preparedness initiative, therefore, the perception of the residents
on vulnerability and preparedness of the Island Town at household level, key informants and
the general public was assessed using questionnaires, focus group discussions, and informal
consultations. After synthesizing and analysing the data, the study developed a Planning
Matrix for Integrating Disaster Preparedness for the Sustainable Physical Development of the
Island Cit.y of Mombasa, and potentially other urban centres. From it, policy
recom.mendat,ions were drawn. The study made the following main findings; firstly, Mombasa was found to be vulnerable
from all its contingent conditions. Its preparedness was found to be nominal. Secondly, the
study found disasters to be more of social events than physical phenomena in that the factor
of people and their vulnerability is the most important ingredient since only its presence
transforms hazards into disasters. Since hazards, being the causal factors, are sure to occur as
a matter of 'when' not 'if, the contingent conditions which are largely spatial, are what
should preoccupy planners wishing to mitigate the effects of disasters by systematically
seeking to improve them. Thirdly, the study found that development is the root cause of
disasters and, therefore, must not be separated from the disaster management process, since
disasters are essentially debts of development; what development forgets to take into
consideration, it pays back at a later date.
The study gave policy recommendations for disaster preparedness in Mombasa based on the following four objectives: to decrease the level of potential risk; to mitigate the consequences
of disastrous events; to locafise and limit the scope of catastrophes, and; to facilitate rescue
operations. The recommendations include: improvement of regional conditions both on the
mainlands of Mombasa and neighbouring regions so as to better manage and stabilise
population densities within the Island; reduction of traffic congestion within the island by
planning for transit traffic to bypass the Island., enhancing the existing and introducing
alternative (marine and air) access to the Island and ameliorating its internal
circulation. | en |
