Role of Community Participation in Drought Risk Management in Kilifi County, Kenya

Drought is a normal recurring climate feature in the world, which is among the earliest documented climatic events with adverse socio-economic impacts in the history of man after Noah’s huge deluge (George, 2003; ISDR, 2009). Series of droughts in the 9 Th century in Sahel region among the ancient hunters and gatherers claimed lives, destroyed livelihoods and economies thereby outstripping the communities accumulated coping and adaptive capacities owing to low level preparedness and participation in drought risk management (ISDR, 2005; Mayell, 2002). Coerced community participation in drought risk reduction dating back to the times of Epic of Gilgamesh and biblical times of Joseph in Egypt yielded effective drought risk reduction. These classical accounts elaborates deliberate actions and predefined roles in community participation that were instituted to efficiently avert crisis. The actions taken characteristically maximized existing opportunities, knowledge and synergies in drought mitigation interventions considering appropriateness of needs, perceptions and existing capacities. (George, 2003)