Evaluation of civil engineering training in respect to disaster preparedness in Kenya

Abstract

Disaster results from interaction of a hazard and society. All nations on the globe are exposed to at least one kind of hazard. The major difference amongst nations is the capacity to cope. Kenya's capacity is currently undermined by a number of factors, e.g. low economic indicators, inadequate training and lack of specialized manpower, and lack of national policy on disaster. This paper focuses on the training aspect of civil engineers as one sector of professionals whose contribution is necessary in reducing disaster impact in society. The paper identifies areas, which need to be integrated in the current training of civil engineers to make them more effective in the use of engineering tools to mitigate disaster. The paper also identifies constraints and recommends the way forward for both the Government and training institutions in realizing the proposed training structure.

Keywords: disaster, hazards, curriculum, civil engineering

Journal of Agriculture, Science & Technology Vol. 9 (1) 2007: pp. 55-63