MST-Department of Environmental Planning and Management
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Browsing MST-Department of Environmental Planning and Management by Author "Getao, C. M."
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Item Environmental implications of the charcoal business in Narok-south sub-county, Narok county(Kenyatta University, 2014) Tesot, Absolom Kibet; Letema, S. C.; Getao, C. M.The forest cover in Kenya which is below the international required standard of 10% coverage is rapidly becoming depleted due to the ever increasing human demand for fuel wood. Unsustainable exploitation of forest resources for commercial charcoal production is a worrying phenomenon in Narok-South Sub-County, Narok County of Kenya. The fast disappearance of tree cover may influence climate change which may in the long run affect crop yields, tourism activities and deepen poverty levels, of which Narok County is not an exception. The research covered Narok-South Sub-County commercial charcoal production areas as the study area. The study assumed a descriptive design which employed Pre field work, Field work, Review of relevant documents, Data collection, analysis and interpretation as study approaches. The study aimed at assessing the socio-economic impacts of charcoal enterprise in Narok-South Sub-County, Narok County, the sustainability of the charcoal business, to examine the environmental implications of charcoal production in the Sub-County, and to come up with recommendations on sustainable management of charcoal business in Narok-South-Sub-County. The study found out that the charcoal enterprise activities as currently practiced in Narok south sub county is unsustainable The annual estimation was informed by the response of majority (76%) of the charcoal producers, who engage in production at all times throughout the year. According to the 50 charcoal producers surveyed, an estimated 28,800 bags of charcoals each weighing 50kg on average are produced over the course of the year, this is equivalent to 1440 tonnes. The ACACIA xanthaphloea trees locally known as „Olerai‟ is an important food stock for livestock are vastly harvested for charcoal production making the community vulnerable to drought effects. The other tree species preferred for charcoal production include: ACACIA lahal, OLEA Africans, WARBUGIA ugandensis, TARCHONANTHUS camphorates, and EUCLEA schimperi. This has led to forest cover reduction and environmental degradation and is a threat to biological diversity in the area which attracts tourists. Although commercial charcoal production and movement has been banned in the study area, the main factors driving the enterprise are land clearance and the socio-economic benefits associated with charcoal industry. Data analysis was done using statistical package for social sciences software (SPSS) Version 20. Presentation involved use of tables, charts and graphs.Item A framework for sustainable e-waste management in manufacturing and processing industries, Industrial area Nairobi County(Kenyatta University, 2014) Muhani, Duncan Aliero; Majale, Christine Liyala; Getao, C. M.Kenya’s manufacturing and processing sector is among the key productive sectors identified for economic growth and development because of its immense potential for wealth, employment creation and poverty alleviation. Currently Kenya’s industrial sector is one of the largest in sub Saharan Africa, the sector is highly fragmented with more than 2,000 manufacturing enterprises. The presence of these industries has led to rise in waste from electrical and electronics equipment and devices known as e-waste due to changes in technology, wear and tear, and high rates of obsolescence of the equipments. The country is also likely to experience an increase in e-waste due to the formation county government as envisaged by the constitution of Kenya 2010, as the Counties are all out to embrace industrial growth. The project explored how an integrated approach to e-waste management can be applied in Industrial Area, Nairobi County in order to address the problem of e-waste brought about by the presence of high number industries. The study reviewed legal, policy and institutional framework governing e-waste management and general waste management in Kenya with a view to determine their strength and weaknesses in addressing the issue. The study also sought to assess how e-waste is handled and examining critical challenges constraining e-waste management in industrial area. From the data I collected, It was established that the legal and institutional framework governing e-waste in the country do not efficiently address the problem. There are no e-waste specific policies and general national policies on environmental conservation do not directly address the problem of e-waste but solid waste in general. Enforcement of the regulations on general waste management has also proved to be a problem to the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) and the County Government as they lack adequate capacity to carry out their mandate in form of finances and personnel to enable them carry out enforcement of the regulations. Many of the industries do not practice routine environmental reporting where both internal and external auditing on the state of the environment is done. Routine environmental reporting is very important in realizing sustainability on matters of environmental management; it ensures disclosure of the state of the environment at given periods, which ensures industries comply with laws and regulation governing the sector. From the data collected, some of the industries do not have health and safety measures and procedures of e-waste handling in place. These two issues are very critical when it comes to handling e-waste; there absence in industries means high vulnerability during the handling process. Environmental Management and Co-ordination Act, 1999 provides for the integration of environmental concerns in national policies, plans, programmes and projects. In this regard, it provides for the formulation of National, Provincial and District Environment Action Plans every five years, there is therefore need to restructure the former provisional administration to fit in the new county government structure for this purpose. The study calls for urgent and comprehensive integrated framework, which will ensure functional systems and structures, are put in place for proper e-waste management hence reducing significantly the human and environmental impacts of poor e-waste handling by taking action to address gaps in policy and institutional framework governing the sector both at the national and county government. It also calls for manufacturing industries to put in place measures towards environmental compliance.Item Performance of Non-State Actors in Provision of Water along Kiambere-Mwingi Water Pipeline in Kamuwongo Division, Kitui County(Kenyatta University, 2014) Mwendwa, Philip Kimanzi; Getao, C. M.; Letema, S. C.The Millennium Development Goal 7c of halving the population without access to safe drinking water was achieved in 2010. However, in Sub-Saharan Africa, Kenya included, this goal is yet to be met as disparities still thrive. About 57 per cent of the households in Kenya have access to safe water. The government has tried to improve water service provision through resource allocation; reforming key institutions involved in supply of water and water pipelines have also been established in the rural areas as part of the government’s plan to improve access to water in the areas. Kiambere-water pipeline is one of the pipelines that were established by the government to improve water access in the arid area of Mwingi. This pipeline however, has not realized its full potential because of several factors. First, the water points are located far away from some of the villages leaving most people especially in Kamuwongo Division without access to water service. Secondly, the Water Service Board in the area has also not been effective in ensuring that the people along that pipeline are served with water. This has led to the entry of non-state actors in the provision of water services to fill the gap left by the state. This study investigated the performance of the non-state actors in provision of water service in Kamuwongo Division. To achieve this, the researcher employed both secondary and primary data. Primary data was collected using questionnaires, interview schedules, photography, checklists and observation guides. Data from the questionnaires were coded and then analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Information from Interviews and checklists were organized and analyzed in themes. Data were then presented in tables, charts and graphs. This study recommends the adoption of capacity building, improvement of water supply water, proper management of CBO water initiatives, increasing level of investments towards water service provision, subsidizing connection fee and improving water infrastructure.Item Sustainable Residential Neighborhood Planning, A Case Study Of Burandogo Village Taveta Constituency(Kenyatta University, 2014) Mwangi, Susan Nyokabi; Kamau, P. K.; Getao, C. M.Urbanisation and population growth have led to impact that increasingly deplete the natural resources and threaten the existence of the ecosystem. This has led to an increased awareness that the development of land use should be well managed in order to be sustainable. Improvement of housing for the Kenyan population is a major concern to the Government. In its commitment to improved housing the Government of Kenya introduced a National Housing Policy that comprehensively addresses the shelter problem. Given the average household size of 4 persons from the 1999 national Population and Housing Census, there are about 750,000 households in urban areas and 1,500,000 households in the rural areas that need to be housed. With such information the Government aimed to facilitate an annual output of 150,000 housing units in urban areas and 300,000 units in rural areas in the next five years in order to be able to meet that demand (National Housing Policy, 2004). As people were settling in Burandogo there was no planning that was done to ascertain that the neighbourhood has all the social amenities required, this could be to due to the fact the some of the residents settled there as squatters a form of informal settlement that does not consider planning aspects. The housing tenure of the area is mostly tenancy and ownership with tenancy being the most common housing tenure system in the area. With tenancy most tenants pay rent which most of them considered the rent charges as being affordable to them. Some of the physical planning requirements were not adhered to in the neighbourhood for instance the area was not served with an efficient storm water drainage system. The area lacks all weather and well articulated access roads, no properly constructed market place, and poor solid waste management, lacks a sewerage system, lack sufficient and efficient sanitation facilities, security enforcement personnel and schools. The areas that the residents mostly advocated for their improvement include water supply, security, sanitation, storm water drainage and the introduction of a health facility. The demand of housing still far outstrips supply due to the high rate of urbanization, increased poverty, escalation of housing costs and the lack of a clear government initiative towards the same.