Browsing by Author "Gathuru, Gladys"

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    Anthropogenic Impacts on Land Use and Land Cover Change in Ombeyi wetland, Kisumu County, Kenya
    (Macrothink Institute, 2019) Odhiambo, Nicodemus Osoro; Obade, Paul; Gathuru, Gladys
    Land use and land cover change as a result of human-induced transitions is a major environmental challenge in Lake Victoria Basin. The study adopted a mixed-method consisting of remote sensing and GIS-based analysis, key informant interviews, and household survey consisting of 384 households to asses Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics and associated human-induced transformations in Ombeyi wetland. The study aimed at generating a characterized area estimate of Ombeyi wetlands land use and land cover change schema for the study period (1990-2017), and examining the spatial and temporal characteristics of anthropogenic impacts and their relationship with land use and land cover change in Ombeyi wetland. The gis-based analysis revealed that built-up area/settlements and agricultural lands extensively increased in area at the expense of wetland vegetation. Key informants attributed the changes to population increase (29.2%) and an associated demand for land and natural resources as the major driving forces for the changes. Analysis of household-survey results validated the observed patterns during the remotely sensed data analysis phase of the research, as 90.1% (n=384) of the respondents reported to own land within the wetland through inheritance. 92.2% of the respondents are farmers practicing farming in the wetland with 72.4% of the same respondents attaining primary level education and below. Poverty and education levels were significant factors in influencing unsustainable land use and land cover changes observed in this study. The present state of land cover and its dynamics have had negative impacts on the riparian rural livelihoods and natural resource management.
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    Climate Variability and Response Strategies among Smallholder Sweet Potato Farmers in Gatundu North Sub-County, Kiambu County, Kenya
    (International Journal of Research in Environmental Science (IJRES), 2024) Gacheru, Jemimah Wanjiru; Wemali, Evelyn; Gathuru, Gladys
    Climate change and climate variability as manifested in prolonged droughts and frequent floods among other effects is a challenge world over, affecting climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture. Climate variability could be particularly damaging to smallholder farmers that are dependent on rain-fed agriculture including those that grow sweet potatoes in many parts of Kenya such as Gatundu North Sub-County of Kiambu County. The aim of this research was therefore to assess the relationship between smallholder sweet potato production and climate variability in Gatundu North Sub-County. The study used monthly rainfall totals, monthly average maximum and minimum temperatures, annual sweet potato production and responses fromselected smallholder sweet potato farmers. There was a decreasing trend in annual rainfall totals, this trend was however not significantbut the rainfall was highly variable. Annual average maximum and minimum temperatures had an upward trendbut variability was negligible. There was a downward trend in annual sweet potato production. Annual sweet potato production and annual rainfall/annual average maximum and minimum temperatures had a weak negative correlation. The coping strategies being utilized by smallholder sweet potato farmers included crop diversification, irrigation, planting fast-maturing varieties, cultivating in swampy areas, cultivating under other plants to provide shade and adjustment of planting dates. It was concluded that there was no significant relationship between changes in rainfall and temperature and sweet potato production in the study area implying that the coping strategies being used by surveyed farmers were effective in mitigating the deleterious effects of climate variability on the crop and should therefore be strengthened.
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    Effectiveness of Natural Wetland in Waste Water Treatment: A Case Study of Tibia Wetland, Limuru Municipality.
    (2014-07-31) Gitau, James Kinyua; Kitur, Esther; Gathuru, Gladys
    Information on wetland function is very important as the information can be used to remove undesirable qualities of water. The aim of the study is to assess the effectiveness of natural wetlands in the treatment of waste water. The study will be carried out for a period of four months (November 2012 to February 2013). The objective of the study is to fmd out the physical chemical parameters of water from Lirnuru water and Sewerage Company and Bata Shoes Company before and after entering the wetland, and whether there is a relationship between the physico-chemical characteristics of water before and after coming out of the wetland. The parameters to be measured are pH, electrical conductivity, temperature, BOD, TDS, TSS, DO, phosphorous, chromium and nitrate. Water samples will be collected and analyzed using standard laboratory procedures. Data will be analyzed using SPSS, Microsoft excel program and results presented using graphs, charts and tables.