Case Study: Effective Management of Storm Water in Urban Spaces

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Sustainable Urban Economic Development Programme (SUED) Effective Management of Storm Water in Urban Spaces- A Case Study on Isiolo Municipality Challenge The Kenyan Government has undergone significant changes since its independence in 1963, key among them the shift from a central government to a devolved one after the promulgation of a progressive constitution in 2010. Devolution provides people an opportunity to participate in decision-making on how resources within counties are managed to advance the counties priorities. As such counties have recently been pressured by the populace to have demonstrable outputs that showcase their economic development. This has resulted in many counties promoting urban development geared towards meeting the need of their growing urban population. However, as the counties put in place infrastructure, they have inadvertently encroached on water catchment areas resulting in poor urban water management. Furthermore, managers of these new urban centres in the counties have faced the challenge to better manage the amenities they provide while giving priority to how the new infrastructure impacts the environment and responds to climate change. The country has seen an increase in flooding within its urban areas that has resulted in serious damage to businesses and infrastructure, highlighting the importance of effective urban storm water drainage. The practice within the counties has been to implement mono-functional drainage concepts that only address one drainage need within the urban centre. This approach often results in flooding due to the increase in water surface runoff and decreased volume flow. This has been further exacerbated by developments along riparian land, poor sanitation practices that include poor disposal practices that have led to garbage and floating litters increasing the sedimentation of the water system. Counties are yet to put in place effective measures that help them foresee how to best manage stormwater within their urban centers. There is a need to provide technical support to help them plan, design and develop responsive and implementable storm water management plans. This plan should incorporate features that increase resilience to future climatic shocks. The need for a responsive stormwater management system is critical in Kenya where 80% of its land mass is classified as Arid and Semi-Arid and can significantly benefit from the proper management of their storm water to harvest and store their flood water for future use during dry seasons. In Isiolo Municipality, there has been an increase in population from around 46,500 in 2009 to 80,500 in 2019 - almost doubling in a decade. As such, demand for urban services has increased. While this demand is justifiable, the municipality and wider county have additional pressure to


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Case Study: Effective Management of Storm Water in Urban Spaces by Tetra Tech International Development Europe - Issuu