Abstract This study ascertained the socioeconomic determinants of farmers’ knowledge on soil and water conservation technologies in Dry zones of Central Highlands of Kenya involving 400 farming households. Results showed that the majority of the farmers had inadequate knowledge on the use and benefits of soil and water conservation technologies. The socio-economic factors that influence knowledge levels of the knowledge-intensive technologies were education level, gender, perceptions on so...
Abstract Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is promoted in arid and semi-arid areas for increased yields. Planting pits are RWH systems that are used for collecting rainwater and runoff. Recently, there has been increased interest in economic and environmental benefits of agricultural technologies for sustainable development. To contribute to this knowledge, economics of Chololo and Five by Nine planting pits and sorghum and pigeon pea mulch was investigated at two sites in semi-arid Eastern Kenya f...
Abstract Most countries across the world are still adopting the crisis management approach in their drought management efforts. This approach has been criticized due to its reactive nature. Researchers emphasize the need for a more strategic and proactive drought management approach. In Kenya, the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) was constituted to manage the persistent droughts that are experienced in the country. However, there is paucity on research focusing on the strategic m...
Abstract Drier parts of Kenya’s Central Highlands endure persistent crop failure and declining agricultural productivity. These have, in part, attributed to high temperatures, prolonged dry spells and erratic rainfall. Understanding spatial-temporal variability of climatic indices such as rainfall at seasonal level is critical for optimal rain-fed agricultural productivity and natural resource management in the study area. However, the predominant setbacks in analysing hydro-meteorological...
Abstract This study examined the extent of seasonal rainfall variability, drought occurrence, and the efficacy of interpolation techniques in eastern Kenya. Analyses of rainfall variability utilized rainfall anomaly index, coefficients of variance, and probability analyses. Spline, Kriging, and inverse distance weighting interpolation techniques were assessed using daily rainfall data and digital elevation model using ArcGIS. Validation of these interpolation methods was evaluated by compari...
Abstract Lake Naivasha, Kenya, is a fresh water lake currently experiencing severe environmental problems as result of pollution from agricultural effluents and urban water surface runoff, uncontrolled water abstraction, improper land use practices in the catchment area and proliferation of wetlands’ invasive species. These problems are exacerbated and compounded by changes in climate and inadequate conservation interventions. To deal with the pollution problem, flower farms around the lak...