APPLIC LICATION ION OF OF GIS IN IN TRACKING CKING ENVIR VIRONMEN NMENTAL AL DEGRAD RADATION ION IN IN SOUTHE OUTHERN RN VIHIGA HILLS LS: IMPLIC PLICATIONS IONS FOR OR ENVIR IRONMEN MENTAL AL CON ONSER SERVATION ION IN IN KE KENY NYA By By Wy Wyclif liffe e Aluoc Aluoch OBO BOKA, , Calv Calvince ince Ouk uko OTH THOO OO The Co-operati rative ve Unive versi rsity ty College of f Kenya ya Nairob robi , Kenya ya
OUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATION Background information Problem statement Objectives of the study Methodology Results and Discussion Conclusions Recommendations
BACKGROUND Southern Vihiga Hills present a complicated history of land degradation in Kenya drawing from the colonial times. Colonial Government established Maragoli Hills forest through a legal notice number 266 of the Kenya gazette supplement number 28 of 1957. Initiatives by Colonial government resisted, uprooting seedlings ( Mwangi, 2003). Maragoli Hills (318.8 acres) declared Central Government Forest through the Legal Notice number 174 in 1964 Local communities destruction and sabotage. Last sections of the forest was cleared in 1996 (Nekesa, 2003). Further efforts to rehabilitate frustrated by members of the community who uproot the planted seedlings (Ochanda, 2014).
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM While le envir vironmental onmental degrada adation tion in th the five e major water r towers s in Kenya is well ll document cumented ed and effor orts ts to rehabil abilitat itate e th them put t in pla lace, ce, sci cientif entific c stu tudies dies on forest est lo loss s and envi viron onmenta mental l degr grada adation tion in hilly lly areas s of southern uthern Vihiga a Cou ounty nty are sca canty nty.
OBJECTIVES AND RESEARCH QUESTION The he obj bjectiv ectives s of th the stu tudy dy were re to: 1. To determine the extent of environmental degradation in southern Vihiga Hills using GIS technology; and 2. To analyze water quality of streams originating from southern Vihiga hills .
METHODOLOGY OF STUDY Study area The study was carried out in vihiga hills in southern parts of vihiga county lying between longitudes 34 o 30’ and 35 o 0’ E, and latitudes 0 o and 0 o 15’ N. The county covers a total area of 531.0 km
METHODOLOGY CONT’….. Data collect lection ion Classified land sat image of the study area in 1988 showing Maragoli forest under forest GPS surveys; cover Photography; Satellite imagery; Interviews Water sampling Data analys ysis GIS analysis Analysis of change and areas Physicochemical and biological analysis of water quality
RESUL ULTS S AND ND DI DISCU CUSS SSIONS IONS : Analy alysi sis s of the e extent ent of envir ironment nmental al degr gradat adation ion 1. Analysis of earlier topographic maps and landsat images of the catchment showed that southern Vihiga Hill was heavily forested before 1990s. 2. Interviews with elderly residents in the area of study the study established that all hills in southern Vihiga hills had thick vegetation cover up to 1970s
ABOVE: E: obser ervable able change ge in n catchment hment area bet etween ween 1988 8 and nd 2016 BELLOW: : lands ndsat at imager gery y ana nalysis ysis on c n catchme hment nt deg egrada radatio tion on n Maragoli ragoli forest st Change in catchment area calculated from satellite imagery Year Area (sq.km) Chnange (sq.km) Percentage change 1988 4.822798 0 0 1990 4.49114 -0.33166 6.9 1995 3.915938 -0.90686 18.8 2011 0 -4.8228 100 2015 0 -4.8228 100 Total Loss area 100 Between 1988 and 1990, there was loss of 0.32Km2 area of forest cover, which translated to 6.9% loss. Between 1990 and 1995, there was loss of the 3.91km2 (18.8%), while in 2008, there was 100% loss in forest cover Field Survey in Emusunguti hills established a case of heavy erosion with deep galleys and collapse of hill slope in several areas and heavy sand harvesting activities in streams as a result of erosion in hilly areas
WATER R QU QUALIT LITY Water samples for physiochemical and biological analysis from 3 streams: Ebisundi, Wakoo and Uhaya streams. Results revealed departures from the WHO water quality standards. very high population of Coliform bacteria and E.Coli in the water in all the three streams sampled in both dry and wet seasons. These further confirmed the degradation activities in the catchment
SUMMARIES OF DEVIATIONS FROM THE WHO/KBS STANDARDS FOR TESTED PARAMETERS
CONT’….
CONCL NCLUSI USIONS ONS & R & REC ECOMM OMMEN ENDATIO TIONS NS study had 2 key conclusions: 1. Environmental degradation taking place poses risk of hill collapse, landslides and related disasters. 2. Water from streams not fit for human consumption . Key Recommendations: 1. Adapt an incentive based strategy for rehabilitation of Maragoli forest 2. Vihiga County Government to prioritize and invest in projects of water treatment and supply. 3. County governments in Kenya should map all hilly areas, zone them off.
AMESEGANALO
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