“Kenya floods: Nairobi homes demolished”

Geography Case Study

April - May, 2024

Meteorologists confirmed that Hidaya is the strongest tropical cyclone ever observed in this part of the south Indian Ocean

Floods in Kenya killed 257 and injured 188 people; 56,000 homes destroyed

Activities concentrate on the Mukuru slum in the south of Nairobi

Flooding made worse by: Nairobi built on flood plain by the British colonisers + climate change + Indian Ocean Dipole + informal housing along river banks + saturated soil + impermeable concrete + infilling of Nairobi Dam

• 5Ws &1H: satellite photo of Tropical Cyclone Hidaya

• Which settlement type is the ODD ONE OUT?

• Which weather event is the ODD ONE OUT?

• Lateral Thinking about the KENYAN FLOODS: Write three geographical sentences linking four photographs

• Which photograph shows Kenya? Write a sentence to explain reasoning. (Actually a trick question: They ALL show different aspects of Kenya)

• Over a dozen slides to set the scene and prompt discussion: photos of Nairobi and Mukuru, graph showing precipitation (to spot the two rainy seasons)

• Links to videos for further knowledge

• Mystery: Why did the Mwangi family have to leave their home?

• Two slides of clues to help solve the mystery

• Worksheet: annotate the map of Nairobi to explain the causes of the floods

• Concept hexagons: explain the links between the icons (people, housing, cyclone, rain, flood, death)

• Worksheet: Conclusion - Hypothesis “The Kenyan government were right to demolish the houses in Mukuru”

TEACHERS’ BACKGROUND INFORMATION sheets (x2) with further links and detail