MST-Department of Civil Engineering

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    Assessment of water resources utilization and management in chahi sub-catchment, Kisoro district, Uganda
    (2013-07-23) Tera, Marahi Moses
    There is a growing global concern over the future of the world‟s water resources due to the preceding vulnerability. Some of the factors contributing to the increase in water resources vulnerability include population growth and poor land use practices. This study assessed the local uses and management of water resources and the local coping mechanisms, identified the drivers of water resources scarcity and evaluated the opportunities and challenges of managing water resources in Chahi sub-catchment, Kisoro District, Uganda. To achieve the objectives of the study, the following empirical tools were used; a structured questionnaire, key informant interviews and field observation guides. A total of 100 households and 20 key informants were interviewed. Numerical tools for data analysis comprised descriptive statistics and non-parametric test. SWOT analysis tool was used to examine the challenges and opportunities. The study identified pipe borne water (89%), stream (58%), rain (40%) through roof catchment and vendors (8%) as the major sources of water in the sub-catchment, with domestic (100%) and agricultural (24%) being the major local uses of water. Women played a key role in the management of water sources, making use of the water and fetching of water from the water sources. Construction of water points, maintenance of available water points, fencing of the water source, participatory planning in water management, equitable distribution of water tanks and training on water management were identified by households as interventions to ensure sustainable water supply and management in the sub-catchment. Drivers of water resources scarcity in the sub-catchment included climate change (98%), poverty among the households (80%), population growth (77%), pollution (41%), inadequate information on water management (33%), land use practices (20%) and deforestation (16%). Various coping mechanisms; domestic rainwater harvesting (DRWH), water storage during plenty, water pricing, use of earthen pots, moving long distances and innovative agricultural practices were being used by the households. However, not any of all these coping mechanisms considered depicted a significant relationship with the households‟ longevity in the sub-catchment. Major challenges hindering water resources management (WRM) in the sub-catchment are; low coverage of rainwater harvesting technology at household level, lack of internal training on WRM technologies and inadequate support of water initiatives by the households. Conversely, the opportunities established include; location, support from the Central Government through the District Local Government and involvement of different stakeholders in water management. The study concludes that water shortage appears as a powerful incentive to change, eliciting major adaptations and coping strategies from users. This study recommends focus on building more water infrastructure and involvement of the households in the planning and allocation of water resources. This will contribute to improved understanding of the need for efficient water resources utilization and management on household livelihoods and also help design appropriate WRM strategies for the poor peasant farmers and provide guidance for policy makers for similar situations in Uganda and beyond.
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    Determinants of Soil Water Conservation and Nutrient Flow Management in Bufundi Sub-Catchment.Kabale District,Uganda
    (2013-03-20) Kaliisa, Robert
    Soilerosion and declining soil productivity still continue to manifest in most of the agricultural systemsfound in Sub-Sahara Africa and this has threatened the agricultural productivity, biodiversity,water quality and availability as well as the livelihoods of the poor who depend on land.In Uganda, this has been attributed to poor land use practices with inadequate SWC measuresand persistent nutrient mining of the soils with little or no replenishment. Highland areasofKabale are reported to be severely affected by soil erosion and declining soil fertility despitecontinued efforts by farmers to conserve soil and water resources. The study examined thedeterminants for SWC and nutrient flow management in Bufundi sub-catchment. The study waspremised on analyzing physical, institutional and social economic factors as they were perceivedto stronglyinfluence'SwC and nutrient flows within the different farm slope positions ofBufundi sub-catchment. Ni~ety five (9S) structured questionnaires, key informant interviews andtransects were conducted in the month of January 2011. Also 30 soil samples were collected fromagricultural fields on the predominant SWC measures (terrace benches) in addition to nutrientmonitoring using the NUTMON questionnaires, transfer functions and a NUTMON monitoringguide. Data analysis was done using SPSS 17.0, E-view 3.0 and NUTMON 3.6 softwarefor the different types of data. The results of the survey show that family size, age, land , . tenure,perception of soil erosion, sources of income, formation of Innovation Platforms (IPs), farmsize, collective marketing under IP, slope, collective action and training in SWC are among themajor factors that positively and significantly influence adoption and use of soil and water conservationmeasures. Education, sex, off-farm activities, visits by extension agent, showed no significantinfluence on adoption and use of soil and water conservation measures. Soil data in thepredominant SWC measures (terrace benches) revealed that: pH, organic matter, and nitrogen werebelow the critical values on all the"t~rrace farms. It was revealed that organic manure (IN2) wassignificant at (p
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    Socio-economic factors influencing household wetland resources conservation and use in Ngaciuma sub-catchment, upper Tana, Kenya.
    (2013-03-26) Kithinji, Felix Muthomi
    Wetland ecosystems provide a wide range of goods and services that are important in supporting the livelihood of many rural communities. Despite their importance, overexploitation and in the absence of conservation measures, wetlands continue to be degraded by human activities. Population growth pressure and .subsequent food insecurity have lead to the communities living near the wetland areas to reclaim the wetlands, thereby threatening the existence of the ecosystem. Factors responsible for wetland degradation in sub-catchments are many and varied. They include lack of understanding of the factors influencing people's access and decisions on use of wetland resources. There is minimal or no research conducted to understand the factors influencing rural household decisions on use of wetland resources in the sub-catchment. In order to understand and improve management of wetland this study sought to identify and analyse types of wetlands, assess the various households socioeconomic factors influencing wetlands resources use and conservation methods used within the Ngaciuma sub-catchment. To achieve this, a combination of key informant interviews, transect walk, observations and household survey were used to collect data. A structured questionnaire was administered to 96 households to solicit data on the households' socio-economic characteristics and wetland use patterns. SWOT analysis was used to analyze the conservations methods and sources of threats to wetland resources. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select households for interview. The data generated was coded and entered into the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) and analyzed using descriptive statistics and cross tabulation to describe various patterns influencing households use of wetland resources. Correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between the household factors and use of wetland resources. Chi square was also used to compare the relationship between the expected and the observed wetland use. The results revealed that marshes are the most common type of wetlands which are dominated by tyha species vegetation. The findings also revealed that education, income levels, household size and proximity to wetlands influence the use of wetland resources at (p< 0.05) chi-square test. The most common methods used in conservation were planting of water friendly trees and soil conservation. Major challenges of wetland conservation include insufficient information and destruction of wetlands by wild animals. The study recommends formulation of comprehensive management plans, which have legal backing, to be used to govern the use of wetlands resources. There is also need for' co-management of wetlands between the state and the communities.
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    Utilization and conservation of papyrus plants for sustainable livelihoods in Kusa swamp, Lake Victoria, Kenya
    (2013-03-25) Auma, Janet Atieno
    Kusa swamp has been adversely affected by degradation due to increase in human and livestock population coupled with poor farming methods, overgrazing and harvesting of papyrus which endangers the livelihood of the community. This study hypothesizes that there is no significant relationship between quantities of papyrus harvested per day and change in the area covered by papyrus; papyrus bundles used per day to make mats and those used to make baskets and ropes; and opinion the community hold on conservation of the swamp and, the number of community members involved in awareness creation, planned harvesting 'of papyrus and institutional arrangements. The main objective was to assess the utilization and conservation of papyrus in Kusa Swamp. To achieve this, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was used where Google Land Cover Facility (GLCF) was used to download aerial images of Kusa swamp between the years 1985 and 2008; and a household survey comprising 96 households of respondents in the study area was carried out. Interviews were also administered to selected key informants. The research instruments. included questionnaires, Key Informant Interviews (KII), direct observation, Focus Group Discussion (FGD). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. To test the hypotheses, correlation analysis was used. Remote Sensing (RS) and GIS software (Integrated Land and Water Information System (1LWIS)) was used to analyze the RS images to show the change in area covered by papyrus. The area covered by papyrus in 1985, 1988, 1995, 2000 and 2008 was 66.7 km (41%), 68.9 km2 (43%), 51.7 krn2 (32%), 41.6 km2 (26%) and 37.7 krn2 (23%) respectively. Papyrus utilization is dominated by females (53.1%) and it is high among those with low or no educational attainment (80.2%). Papyrus utilization has resulted in papyrus habitat decline where the overall loss in area covered by papyrus between 1985 and 2008 was 43%, but a larger area was lost between 1988 and 2000 (37%). This trend shows that 86% of the area might be lost by 2031. It has also resulted in reduction in papyrus availability (67%), migration (75%) and death (22.9%) of animals; and change in fish diversity (36.5%). Majority (70%) of the respondents use papyrus for mat making while 30% use it for basket weaving, thatching houses, chair making, partitioning houses and ceiling. Baskets and ropes are widely used in the area. About 79% are in favour of swamp conservation while only 4.2% are currently involved in conservation activities. Initially, the community used institutional arrangements (21%), planned harvesting (31%) and awareness creation (48%) as conservation measures but they were discouraged due to lack of internal and external support. The riparian communities proposed new measures to be implemented for sustainability of the ecosystem. Kusa community continues to depend on the swamp for their livelihoods which include papyrus harvesting, farming, grazing and water. To meet these benefits against increasing population and poverty, there is need for a management strategy that accounts for both peoples' livelihoods balanced with conservation initiatives. This calls for consideration of alternative sustainable livelihood and development options by stakeholders which include recreation, research and educational sites and irrigated terrestrial agriculture where agro-forestry is practiced to help compensate for loss of papyrus. Sensitization through multi-media approach on importance of natural ecosystems will help enhance conservation efforts.