Abstract
Globally, climate change continues to present a monumental dilemma in all sectors of the economy. In the urban road transport system, it has become a norm that short distances between places end up consuming longer hours of travel by motorists on rainy days. This prolongation of travel time is occasioned by flooding risks. This makes places inaccessible. Accordingly, this study aimed at improving the accessibility of Nairobi city neighborhoods during wet weather. This informs the reason for use of the term, “engineering accessibility” which simply means to reduce travel time during wet weather between destinations. The study leverages the theory of infrastructure resilience in an attempt to extract developmental data in terms of mapping in the GIS Software environment, the incremental strides in road network lengths and tracing the incremental building footprints over the time scales covering years; 2000,2010,2020 and 2024.Secondly, rainfall data was sourced from KMD open source database that assisted in the development of flood map profile over the same time scale in HEC-RAS software. In the year 2000, built up area covered,50km squared, and the road network totaled 9630km.The worst flood depth recorded around Ojijo road in the period was 0.63m.In 2024,built up area was 83km2,road length was 14,720 and the flood depth at the same location was 1.83.This was the worst as exhibited in figure 3.In conclusion, the study has highlighted the need to mainstream resilience in storm water drainage system by deploying a continuous action plans.
References
African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45106-6_141
Feulner G. (2015). Global Challenges: Climate Change. Glob Chall. 2015 Sep 21;1(1):5-6. doi: 10.1002/gch2.1003. PMID: 31565249; PMCID: PMC6655347.
Greenham, S., Workman, R., McPherson, K. et al (2023). Are transport networks in low-income countries prepared for climate change? Barriers to preparing for climate change in Africa and South Asia. Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Change 28, 44 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-023-10078-1
Gonçalves L. A. P. J.and Ribeiro, P. J. G. (2020). Resilience of urban transportation systems. Concept, characteristics, and methods. Journal of Transport Geography, 102727. doi: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2020.10272
Hasanloo M., Pahlavani P., and Bigdeli B. (2019). Flood Risk Zonation Using a Multi-Criteria Spatial Group Fuzzy-Ahp Decision Making and Fuzzy Overlay Analysis. The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, Volume XLII-4/W18, 2019 GeoSpatial Conference 2019 – Joint Conferences of SMPR and GI Research, 12–14 October 2019, Karaj, Iran
Jalayer, F., De Risi, R., De Paola, F., Giugni, M., Manfredi, G., Gasparini, P., … Renner, F. (2014). Probabilistic GIS-based method for delineation of urban flooding risk hotspots. Natural Hazards. doi:10.1007/s11069-014-1119-2
Ji T, Yao Y, Dou Y, Deng, S, Yu S, Zhu Y, and Liao H. (2022). The Impact of Climate Change on Urban Transportation Resilience to Compound Extreme Events. Sustainability, 14(7), 3880. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14073880
Kilavi Mary,Macleod Dave,Ambani Maurine et al.(2018).Extreme Rainfall and Flooding over Central Kenya Including Nairobi City during the Long-Rains Season 2018: Causes, Predictability, and Potential for Early Warning and Actions. Atmosphere 2018, 9, 472; doi:10.3390/atmos9120472
Lagat Ruth, O., D., Lilian, O. (2021). Linking Adaptation and Mitigation Toward a Resilient and Robust Infrastructure Sector in Kenya. In: Oguge, N., Ayal, D., Adeleke, L., da Silva, I. (eds)
Mwaniki Dennis, Wamuchiru Elizabeth, Mwau Baraka, Opiyo Romanus (2015). Urbanization, Informality and Housing Challenge in Nairobi: A Case of Urban Governance Failure? RC21 International Conference on “The Ideal City: between myth and reality. Representations, policies, contradictions and challenges for tomorrow's urban life” Urbino (Italy) 27-29 August 2015. http://www.rc21.org/en/conferences/urbino2015/
Nyarieko W, Nzioka J Oludhe C and Opere A (2019). Influence of Environmental Impact Assessment in minimizing climate change impacts on transport infrastructure in Kenya. Journal of Sustainability, Environment and Peace, 2(1), 1-8
Oguge, N., Ayal, D., Adeleke, L., and da Silva, I. (Eds.). (2021). African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-45106-6
Owuor M O and Mwiturubani D A (2022). Correlation between flooding and settlement planning in Nairobi. Journal of Water and Climate Change (2022) 13 (4): 1790–1805.
Padi, P. T., Baldassarre, G. D., and Castellarin, A. (2011). Floodplain management in Africa: Large scale analysis of flood data. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C, 36(7-8), 292–298. doi: 10.1016/j.pce.2011.02.002
Rashiq A, Prakash O, Kumar A (2022). Urban flood risk hotspot zonation using GIS—based techniques.
Roland Löwe and Karsten Arnbjerg-Nielsen (2019). Urban pluvial flood risk assessment – data resolution and spatial scale when developing screening approaches on the microscale. Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 981–997, 2020 https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-20-981-2020
Shakeel Ahmad, Xuanrong Peng, Anam Ashraf, Dingkun Yin, Zhengxia Chen, Rasheed Ahmed, Muhammad Israr, Haifeng Jia. (2025). Building resilient urban drainage systems by integrated flood risk index for evidence-based planning,Journal of Environmental Management,Volume 374,2025,124130, ISSN 0301-4797,
Stürck, J., Poortinga, A., and Verburg, P. H. (2014). Mapping ecosystem services: The supply and demand of flood regulation services in Europe. Ecological Indicators, 38, 198–211. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2013.11.010
Winter, S.C., Winter, M.R., Plaxico, L. et al (2024). Extreme weather should be defined according to impacts on climate-vulnerable communities. Nat. Clim. Chang. 14, 462–467 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-024-01983-7
Xiaohui Lu, Faith Ka Shun Chan, Hing Kai Chan, Wei-Qiang Chen. (2024). Mitigating flood impacts on road infrastructure and transportation by using multiple information sources.Resources, Conservation and Recycling. Volume 206,2024, 107607.ISSN 0921-3449
Adamu Shanono, I. D. (2020). Performance and emissions of liquid biofuel cooking stoves. Journal of Technology and Engineering, 7, 219-238.
Alliance, C. C. (2014). The Water Boiling Test (Version 4.2.3). CCA.
Approvecho Research Center. (2009). Results of testing of the cleancook stoves for fuel use and carbon emissions.
Bacovsky, D., Matschegg, D., Janssen, R., Rutz, D., & Costanzo, B. D. (2022). Unlocking the bioethanol economy: A pathway to inclusive and sustainable industrial development in developing countries. UNIDO.
Dalberg. (2020). Kenya ethanol cooking fuel masterplan . Dalberg.
Dana K Armstrong, M. K. (2023). Econimic and social feasibility pilot in ethanol fuel for clean cooking in Sierra Leone. Development in Practice 2023, 6-29.
Doris Matshegg, D. B. (2022). Unlocking the bioethanol economy: A pathway to inclusive and sustainable industrial development in developing countries. UNIDO.
Elisa, P., & Daniel Pope. (2017). Clean fuels for cooking in developing countries. Encyclopedia of sustainable technologies, 289-297.
Hajamala, A. M. (2014). Thermal performance of a low concentration ethanol stove without pressure system. Research Communications.
I.J Dioha, C. N. (2012). Comparative studies of Ethanol and Kerosene fuels and Cookstoves performances. Journal of Natural Resources Research, Vol 6.
Kenya Bureau of Standards. (2021). Denatured Technical Alcohol for use as cooking and appliances fuel - Specification. KEBS.
Magdalena, J. A., Greses, S., & Fernandes, C. G. (2021). Valorisation of bioethanol production residues through anaerobic digestion: Methane production and microbial communities. Science of the total environment.
Makonese, T., Annegarn, H. J., & meyer, J. (2020). Performance evaluation of three methanol stovesusing a contextualtesting approach. Energy for sustainable development, 13 -23.
Megan L. Benka-Cocker, W. T. (2018). A case study of the ethanol cleancook stove intervention and potential scale up in Ethiopia. Energy for sustainable development.
Ministry for Energy and Petroleum. (2015). Sustainable Energy FOr All - Kenya ACtion Agenda. Ministry of Energy and Petroleum.
Ministry of Energy. (2020). Bioenergy Strategy 2020 - 2027. Ministry of Energy.
Muthukumar Palanisamy, L. K. (2023). Evolutions in Gaseous and Liquid Fuel Cookstove Technologies. Energies 2023.
Muyiwa Okusanya, O. C. (2019). Development and performance evaluation of an ethanol gel cookstove. International Journal of Engineering Science invention.
Organization, W. H. (2019). Household Air Pollution and Health. WHO.
Peter O. Oketch, H. M. (2014). Experimental study of fuel efficiency and emissions comparison from bioethanol gel stoves. Proceedings of 2014 International conference on Sustainable Research and Innovation. Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
Peter O. Oketch, H. M. (2014). Experimental study of fuel efficiency nd emissions comparison from bioethanol gel stoves. Proceedings of 2014 International Conference on Sustainable Research and Innovation,, 5.
Timothy J.Tse, D. J. (2021). Production of bioethanol - A review of tactors affecting ethanol yield. open access.
Vane L.M, A. F. (2013). Experimental validation of Hybrid distiilation - Vapor permeation process for energy efficient ethanol-water sepertion. Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, 1677-1682.
World Health organisation . (2021). WHO Global air quality guidelines. WHO.
World Health Organisation. (2014). WHO guidelines for indoor air quality: Household fuel combustion. WHO.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 Eng. Dr. Elisha Akech