Challenges of conservation of dryland shallow waters, Ewaso Narok swamp, Laikipia District, Kenya

Ewaso Narok Swamp, formed along the Eng'are Narok river, is located in the semi-arid part of the Laikipia District, Kenya. The area, of bushy grassland, is characterised by low rainfall (less than 750 mm annually) and episodic rivers. Before the 1970s, the dominant land use was large scale ranching and nomadic pastoralism. Since 1970, this has slowly been transformed into high density small-scale farming. There has been a strong trend towards settlement along riverine and wetland areas due to their suitability for farming and easy availability of water for cultivation. Ewaso Narok swamp has a rich species diversity of over 170 bird species, resident and migrant, over 100 plant species and it also provides an important dryland refuge for both domestic and wild animals. The swamp also provides socio-economic products such as plant matter for building. The result of its land use transformation has been ecosystem alteration, habitat modification and destruction both for wetland and rangeland species. This change has also been accompanied by escalating human-wildlife conflict. However, although this process is self-destructive, the lack of economic returns from wildlife to some extent justify the land use transformation since the communities settling here have to satisfy the basic requirements of food and shelter. This poses the challenge of the developing appropriate ways to conserve the dryland wetlands whilst attaining maximum returns for the local community

Analysis of Informal Microfinance Institutions Structures in Relation to Performance in Tharaka South Subcounty, Kenya

Informal microfinance is the delivery of financial services mainly to low income people outside the regulation of the monetary authority. Despite their importance in development, no studies have undertaken a detailed analysis of structures and performance in informal microfinance institutions. This study aims to analyze structures and performance in informal microfinance institutions in Tharaka South Sub County. It uses descriptive study design and multi stage sampling design. Data analysis was done using thematic, descriptive and Kendall’s tau-b correlation analysis. An informal microfinance performance index was developed using inductive and hierarchical approaches. The study found the informal microfinance institutions are marked by high performance which is determined by their structures. Moreover, the study deduced that informal microfinance is a key policy strategy for poverty alleviation, financial inclusion, gender equity and resilience building since participants mainly include women and other vulnerable groups

ASSESSING THE BENEFITS OF AGROFORESTRY BEYOND FOOD SECURITY AMONG HOUSEHOLDS IN ISINGIRO DISTRICT, SOUTH-WESTERN UGANDA

Globally, agroforestry and its capacity to offer a high yielding system are well known as a pathway for providing multiple benefits of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to the households. In Uganda, household farmers adopt on-farm trees for various benefits such as soil erosion prevention, maintaining soil fertility, provision of shade, windbreaks, and climate regulation among others beyond food security. The study aimed at assessing the benefits of agroforestry beyond food security in Isingiro District. The study used a cross-sectional survey design to obtain qualitative and quantitative data. The number of household participants was 284. Multiple Linear Regression to analyse the association between dependent variable and numerous independent variables were employed. The study used Chi-Square tests to find out the statistical value of variables and their effect on agroforestry adoption. The study also used Multiple Regression Model to determine the degree to which selected variables were accountable for influencing agroforestry benefits beyond food security. The results indicated that 41% households in Kabaare, 37.0% in Kikokwa, and 22.0% in Kigyendwa practiced agroforestry. These percentages mean that agroforestry adoption is below the average (50%). The low adoption is attributed to factors such as land shortage, limited financial capacity, poor attitudes and perceptions. Of all the agroforestry adopters, only 21% of the households indicated that they had benefited from onfarm trees. This implies that majority 79% of those who did not practice agroforestry realized no benefits. The socio-economic factors that were positive and insignificant with a positive influence on household agroforestry benefits were the main occupation and income (0.001) while the family size and land size (0.288), land acreage used for food production and household size (0.553), land acreage and marital status (0.182) were insignificant. The study recommends intensive studies on household attitude, and perceptions about agroforestry practice in relation to other factors. The local government needs to review land policy, and strengthen its support to households in utilising their resources productively through on-farm tree adoption to attain diversified benefits

Analysis of rainfall and temperature trends and variability in semi-arid Tharaka South Subcounty, Kenya

To better understand the impacts of climate variability, including spatiotemporal variations in mean rainfall, temperature, and other climatic elements, it is imperative to analyze the dynamics of these elements. Despite the high vulnerability of the Tharaka South Subcounty, Kenya, to the impacts of climate change and variability, no studies have analyzed the local climatic trends and variability to inform response strategies. In this study, we analyzed rainfall and temperature trends and variability in Tharaka South Subcounty using gridded rainfall and temperature data sourced from CHIRPS and CHIRTS. Variability analysis employed descriptive statistics, coefficients of variation, standardized anomalies, and the precipitation concentration index. Trends were analyzed using a Mann-Kendall test and Sen’s slope estimator. The study area is characterized by low rainfall that shows a decreasing trend. Local rainfall is generally marked by high and increasing variability, high and increasing concentration, and a high probability of extreme events. The area has also experienced increasingly severe and frequent droughts, with most years in the study period having below-average rainfall. Rainfall variability is thus characterized by a decrease in rainfall, high rainfall concentration, extreme rainfall events, and more frequent and severe droughts. Large-scale climate forcings also influence the local rainfall trends and variability. In addition, the study area has high temperatures that show an increasing trend, and the region experiences a fluctuating temperature regime. An increase in temperature is associated with a reduction in rainfall amount. Moreover, the area is marked by spatial variability of rainfall and temperature, both with positive and negative spatial trends. The findings of this study will improve understanding of climatic trends and variability, leading to a better understanding of their impacts and informing the development of effective response strategies in the study area.</jats:p

ASSESSING THE BENEFITS OF AGROFORESTRY BEYOND FOOD SECURITY AMONG HOUSEHOLDS IN ISINGIRO DISTRICT, SOUTH-WESTERN UGANDA

Globally, agroforestry and its capacity to offer a high yielding system are well known as a pathway for providing multiple benefits of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to the households. In Uganda, household farmers adopt on-farm trees for various benefits such as soil erosion prevention, maintaining soil fertility, provision of shade, windbreaks, and climate regulation among others beyond food security. The study aimed at assessing the benefits of agroforestry beyond food security in Isingiro District. The study used a cross-sectional survey design to obtain qualitative and quantitative data. The number of household participants was 284. Multiple Linear Regression to analyse the association between dependent variable and numerous independent variables were employed. The study used Chi-Square tests to find out the statistical value of variables and their effect on agroforestry adoption. The study also used Multiple Regression Model to determine the degree to which selected variables were accountable for influencing agroforestry benefits beyond food security. The results indicated that 41% households in Kabaare, 37.0% in Kikokwa, and 22.0% in Kigyendwa practiced agroforestry. These percentages mean that agroforestry adoption is below the average (50%). The low adoption is attributed to factors such as land shortage, limited financial capacity, poor attitudes and perceptions. Of all the agroforestry adopters, only 21% of the households indicated that they had benefited from onfarm trees. This implies that majority 79% of those who did not practice agroforestry realized no benefits. The socio-economic factors that were positive and insignificant with a positive influence on household agroforestry benefits were the main occupation and income (0.001) while the family size and land size (0.288), land acreage used for food production and household size (0.553), land acreage and marital status (0.182) were insignificant. The study recommends intensive studies on household attitude, and perceptions about agroforestry practice in relation to other factors. The local government needs to review land policy, and strengthen its support to households in utilising their resources productively through on-farm tree adoption to attain diversified benefits

Analysis of climate change knowledge and its implications on livelihood options in Naituyupaki Location, Maasai Mau Forest, Narok County, Kenya

Kong’ani LNS, Mutune JM, Thenya T. 2018. Analysis of climate change knowledge and its implications on livelihood options in Naituyupaki Location, Maasai Mau Forest, Narok County, Kenya. Asian J For 2: 62-66. Climate change knowledge among rural forest adjacent communities influences responsive dynamics towards rural livelihood in terms of mitigations and adaptations. Rural households are highly dependent on natural resources, whose base is highly indisputably threatened by the changing climate. Some of the responses towards climate change dynamics exert increased pressure on Maasai Mau forest resources for sustenance. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between forest based livelihood dynamics and climate change knowledge. Results indicate that 93% of the respondents were aware of climate change through life experiences. The cited primary causes of climate change by 72% of the respondents included natural causes (26%), human activities (2%) and punishment from gods respectively. The agricultural production and forest products are the main livelihood activities among the people and these livelihood support activities are, to a large extent, affected by climate change. There is need to continuously expose local community to emerging knowledge on impact of climate change for improved mitigation and adaptations.</jats:p