Kenya, like other countries in eastern Africa, is exposed to a variety of hazards including droughts, floods, landslides and earthquakes. The December 1999 drought affected 23 million inhabitants. From 21 to 23 October 2009, UN-SPIDER conducted an Expert Mission to Kenya to establish contact with its National Focal point, and to raise awareness concerning its activities and the type of technical advisory support it can provide. The mission also included a visit to Nakuru City to visit the Rift Valley provincial disaster-risk reduction platform.
The mission included a meeting with the UN-SPIDER National Focal Point and with representatives of ISDR/Africa and the Kenyan Humanitarian Forum chaired by OCHA, as well as a meeting with the Rift Valley provincial disaster-risk reduction platform.
The mission allowed UN-SPIDER to establish closer links with its National Focal Point, the ISDR Africa Office, the Kenyan Humanitarian Forum and the Rift Valley provincial disaster-risk reduction platform. These efforts allowed these entities to become aware of the mission of UN-SPIDER, the type of Technical Advisory Support that it can provide to countries such as Kenya and on the usefulness of space-based information in case of disaster-risk reduction and emergency response.
The mission also allowed UN-SPIDER to become aware of on-going efforts in Kenya regarding disaster-risk reduction and emergency response, as well as of the special needs in particular geographic regions of the country which are exposed to landslides and drought.
