RP-Department of Geography

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Browsing RP-Department of Geography by Author "Bamutaze, Yazidhi"

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    Effects of land use practices on livelihoods in the transboundary sub-catchments of the Lake Victoria Basin
    (Academic Journals, 2008-10) Albinus, M.P; Obando, Makalle, Joy; Bamutaze, Yazidhi
    The Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) is experiencing changes in land use due to both anthropogenic and natural drivers which are critical to the sustainability of the resources and livelihoods of the communities. Indeed the resultant land use practices and decisions made by the communities on the use of the land rely on the changes in the basin. This paper presents an analysis of the land use practices in the Lake Victoria Basin using two sub-catchments of Mara River (Tanzania) and Sio River (Kenya-Uganda) as case studies. Collection of mainly socio-economic and environmental data involved in-depth interviews of 679 respondents from the midstream and downstream zones of the subcatchments. The findings reveal conspicuous changes in community livelihoods as a result of expansion of cultivation, overgrazing on the river banks, increased use of wetlands areas, the disappearance and extreme fragmentation of forest, bush land and appearance and the diminishing of settlements. The hitherto common resources have become scarce forcing farmers to try intensifying and diversifying their farm production with little success due to poor traditional farming practices. Although local initiatives are leading to change, there is need for integrated approaches of indigenous knowledge, technical agricultural research, economic analysis, and policy studies and reforms.
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    A framework for integrated management of transboundary basins: the case of sio sub-catchment in East Africa
    (2007) Obando, Joy Apiyo; Makalle, Albinus; Bamutaze, Yazidhi
    The Sio sub-catchment is transboundary, originating in Kenya and flowing into Berkeley Bay of the Lake Victoria basin. It forms an important sub-catchment of the Nile basin and a significant base for the livelihood of small scale farmers engaged in mixed farming, depending on agriculture and livestock keeping as well as a large population depending on fishing. Indeed, high population densities exceeding 300 persons per square kilometre and cattle densities of 38 have been noted within basin, and continue to increase pressing heavy demand on the watershed resources – water, soil, vegetation. Thus the basin continues to be deforested as demand for human settlements, agriculture and grazing land increases leading to land degradation that is characterised by fertility losses, erosion by water and increases in sediment load as it drains into Lake Victoria. The livelihood of the population has been adversely affected and has in turn lead to unsustainable natural resources utilization. Integrated watershed management provides an appropriate analytical and management unit for sustainable utilization of resources. This is particularly important as a means of coping with the ever increasing population and can contribute to the Millennium Development goals particularly of reduction of poverty and sustainable environmental management. A framework for integrated management of the Sio basin will enable protection of the resources in the basin, whilst allowing sustainable use of the same resources for this increasing population. This paper provides a framework for management of the Sio transboundary basin within an integrated approach drawing on both local and scientific knowledge for sustainable resources management.
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    Infiltration characteristics of volcanic sloping soils on Mt. Elgon, Eastern Uganda
    (Science Direct, 2010-02) Bamutaze, Yazidhi; Majaliwa, M.J.G.; Tenywa, Moses M.; Vanacker, Veerle; Bagoora, Festus; Magunda, Mathias; Obando, Joy Apiyo; Wasige, John E.
    Water infiltration is an important hydrological process that influences runoff and soil loss patterns in mountain ecosystems. In this paper, we present results on spatial variation in infiltration in croplands on the volcanic soils of Mt. Elgon, in Eastern Uganda. Twelve experimental sites with slope gradients ranging from 12 to 32% were established. Infiltration tests were carried out with a double ring infiltrometer and three measurements were taken at the upper, middle and lower sections of each experimental site to assess the local variability of infiltration. In addition soil information was collected on each experimental site. The soil infiltration data were then evaluated to fit to four commonly used water infiltration models: (1) Philip (1957), (2) Green–Ampt (1911), (3) Horton (1940) and (4) Kostiakov (1932). The twelve experimental sites cover two cropping systems: annual (6 sites) and perennial (6 sites) crops. Based on the results, we examine the spatial variability of infiltration, the relationship of infiltration to landscape position, and the influence of soil composition on infiltration rates on the slopes. The factors affecting spatial variability of soil infiltration were analysed using correlation and regression techniques. Steady state infiltration rates generally increased with the slope gradient and were crop type independent (P < 0.05). The performance of the four applied water infiltration models was generally good with mean R2 values ranging from 0.79 to 0.87, although all the models tended to over-predict the steady state infiltration rates at most sites. Overall, the Philip's and Kostiakov gave better results than the Horton and Green–Ampt models in reproducing the infiltration process on Mt. Elgon.