The County Government of Siaya (CGS) and the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) met to discuss ways of expanding their collaboration to have the much-needed contingency plan for combating drought and its effects in place.
Measures to lessen Siaya's vulnerability, such as the establishment of early warning systems, the formulation of reaction plans, and drought readiness methods, were presented simultaneously.
Today's meeting was co-chaired by ACC1 Mr. Alfred Daudi from the County Commissioner's Office and the Director of Disaster Management Mr. George Aola on behalf of County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Governance, Administration, and ICT.
Attendees from other departments were able to discuss how the CGS and the NDMA may take advantage of the potential to collaborate more closely in these areas and were all in charge of organizing this meeting. The meeting's objectives included improving disaster preparedness measures, collecting timely and accurate data, and collaborating with the NDMA and the county.
Mr. Aola stressed the need for each department to play their key roles in data collection, which will finally make The Siaya Drought Contingency Plan a reality. He thanked NDMA authority for having accepted to partner with the County Government of Siaya and emphasized on the good will and commitment the Nyalore Government has in ensuring such plans see the light of the day.
NDMA officials emphasized the need for weather monitoring, such as early detection of droughts, so that measures can be implemented before the consequences become disastrous. They also provided examples from other ASAL counties and bordering provinces of steps they had implemented and compared them to Siaya County. The county team expressed willingness to work together with NDMA team and respond effectively to notable drought response and recovery plans.
The partnership between the NDMA and county officials will continue to investigate more specific practical alternatives for getting Siaya into the ASAL program. If all of this happens, it may prepare for additional resources and tactics for improved drought management, as well as increased national support for the county throughout the drought. More conversations will take place over the following few weeks to discuss further and lay out the next measures for boosting Siaya's ability to deal with droughts.
Notably, Siaya is ineligible for the special drought improvement help provided to Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) regions when drought occurs since it is not classified as an ASAL county. The county must find a strategy to adapt and mitigate the drier conditions caused by the extraordinary weather, which includes protracted dry spells and irregular precipitation.
Others who attended were Madam Pascalia Kaguara, Drought Coordinator and Mr. Alfred Litunya Assistant Director in charge of Drought Information both from NDMA and officers from the department of Health, Agriculture, Livestock, Veterinary, Fisheries, Education, Environment, Nutrition, Water, Governance, Security team, Red Cross, meteorology among others.
The Nyalore Administration, led by Governor James Orengo, guarantees that the county is well-built to withstand climate change and disasters. Since drought spells and shifting rain patterns have increased the threats, the administration has is discussing ways forward to collaborate with the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) to prepare and improve response systems that will aid in drought-informed mobilizations as early warnings of other sources of funding to improve those activities.
As a result, the county plans to implement a comprehensive contingency plan to safeguard families and maintain food security. The cooperation with the NDMA is consistent with the county administration's goal of improving county's ability to deal with the effects of climate change.