Research Papers/Topics in Environment and Resource Studies

Dust Pollution And Its Health Risks Among Rock Quarry Workersin Kajiado County, Kenya.

ABSTRACT Dust pollution in quarries pose various health risks to the workers including respiratory ailments, skin and eye problems. Depending on the chemical composition and the concentration of the dust, the workers are exposed to inhalation of silica bearing dust thus being at risk of developing silicosis, a fatal lung disease. Information on the chemical composition of the quarry dust is important as it forms a vital baseline for among others the detection of the undesirable health effects...

Industrial Discharge In Nairobi: An Analysis Of Regulatory Environment, Quality Of Discharge And Media Coverage

ABSTRACT Management of wastes – industrial or otherwise – is a primary step in safeguarding human health. The media, with its agenda-setting role, is important in as far as highlighting the health hazards of poor management of waste is concerned. This study, therefore, focuses on the media and the management of industrial discharge in Nairobi. The objectives of the study were: to determine the volumes of effluent waste emissions by industries; evaluation of industrial effluent discharge a...

Adoption And Use Of Self Sanitizing Biodegradable Toilet Bags In Kibera Slums, Nairobi County, Kenya

ABSTRACT The problem of how to dispose human waste has remained a global challenge in a world that is increasingly bound by constraints of resources population growth, rapid urbanization and corresponding levels of poverty and disease, the pressure for appropriate and sustainable solutions is mounting. Despite continued efforts to promote sanitation, a significant number of the world‟s population is still without basic sanitation. Kibera slums suffer from lack of improved sanitation facilit...

The Impacts Of Dumpsite And Domestic Waste Leachate On Groundwater Quality In Kilifi Town, Kilifi County, Kenya

ABSTRACT Kilifi town (study area) is in Kilifi County, Kenya. Groundwater samples were collected from wells which were close (≤30m) from pit latrines and (≤2.5Km) from refuse dumpsite. Ten wells, namely wells number (1- 10) were purposively sampled during wet season (July, August and September, 2011) and also during dry season (January, February and March, 2012), with the aim of assessing the physicochemical and biological impacts of the leachate from the dumpsite and the pit latrines on ...

Assessing Vulnerability To Climate Variability And Change Of Focus Crops Small Scale Farmers In Wote Division-Makueni County, Kenya

ABSTRACT Climate variability and change are some of the most pressing environmental challenges of the globe and are associated with complexity and extreme events mainly drought and floods. Among small scale farming communities in Sub-Saharan Africa including Kenya, climate variability and change have been a more tasking challenge compared to the rest of the regions. There is little understanding of the vulnerability to climate change among such households in Wote based on their socio economic...

Institutional Synergies Towards Mitigating Climate Change Through Decentralization Of Forest Resources: A Case Study Of Kakamega Forest In Kenya

ABSTRACT Climate change impacts have been exacerbated by extreme weather events among others and have led to disappearance of certain species of both food crops and trees. The adaptive capacity of the local community has mainly been on mitigation by basic methods that are mostly traditional in practice and knowledge. An investigation on how different institutions work together towards mitigating climate change through decentralization of forest resources was conducted among communities l...

Analysis Of Emission Profiles From Charcoal Produced From Different Tree Species By Different Pyrolysis Methods

ABSTRACT Charcoal is a major form of biomass fuel for approximately 80% of the Kenyan population. However, the use of charcoal is associated with indoor air pollution where charcoal users are continually exposed to compounds of incomplete combustion which are known to have detrimental effects to human health. This study analyzed the emission profiles of different types of domestically used charcoal produced by different pyrolysis methods. Charcoal samples from three tree species Acacia polyac...

Stakeholders’ Knowledge Levels And Training Needs In Soil Fertility Management Technologies In The Central Highlands Of Kenya

ABSTRACT Soil nutrient depletion has been recognized as one of the major biophysical constraints affecting agricultural production in Sub Saharan Africa. Despite many researches that have developed various soil fertility management options, few of the recommendations from these researches have been put into use by the targeted end users. This has been associated with low levels of knowledge and understanding about these technologies among the stakeholders. The objective of the study was there...

Environmental Awareness, Attitude And Participation Among Secondary School Students: A Comparative Study Of Kasarani And Kibera Divisions, Nairobi County, Kenya.

ABSTRACT Environmental degradation poses a major threat to the existence of humanity today both in rural and urban settlements. In such a scenario, the importance and need for environmental education as a tool for environmental management and conservation cannot be overemphasized. To raise environmental literacy level among Kenyans, Environmental Education is taught using both interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary approaches. Research has shown that students in urban centers are more envir...

An Assessment Of The Implementation Of Participatory Forest Management (Pfm) By Ngong Road Community Forest Association (Cfa) In Nairobi County, Kenya.

ABSTRACT In Kenya, the forest ecosystem has undergone such considerable degradation that the country’s forest cover is only 3% of the total land area, way below the internationally recommended level of 10% cover. From independence, only the government was involved in forest management. Despite this, the country’s forest cover continued to deteriorate. To stem this decline, the Kenyan Government enacted the Forests Act, 2005, which allows for the participation of both government and commun...

Assessment Of The Impact Of The Handicraft Industry On The Environment: A Study Of Wamunyu And Katangi Locations, Mwala District, Kenya

ABSTRACT The study was on woodcarving and basket weaving handicrafts among the Kamba community in Wamunyu and Katangi locations of Mwala District of former Machakos District in Kenya. It examined the extent to which the two practices have impacted on the raw materials used in the production of the respective crafts. A total of 200 craftspeople (100 woodcarvers and 100 basket weavers) participated in the survey. These were purposively sampled for the reason that in each location, the target re...

Status Of Urban Agriculture And Its Implication For Policy Changes In Urban Land Use In Nairobi, Kenya

ABSTRACT Urban agriculture plays a significant role in national development by contributing towards food security, employment creation, poverty alleviation, and ecologising the “artificial” urban systems. However, it is associated with diverse negative impacts to people and the biophysical environment. Further, though generally illegal in Kenya, the practice continues unabated, being a survival strategy for the low income bracket. This study aimed at assessing its status with view of enco...

Zai Pits And Integrated Soil Fertility Management Enhances Crop Yields In The Drier Parts Of Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya

ABSTRACT Low crop yields due to low erratic rainfall, high evapotranspiration, and deteriorating soil fertility in smallholder farmers‘ fields of sub-Saharan Africa have led to a quest for sustainable production practices with greater resource use efficiency. To alleviate water stress, soil fertility decline and reduce runoff, water harvesting technologies and integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) are alternative promising options whose impact on agricultural productivity are not yet ...

Implications Of Consumption Of Unrecorded Alcohol On Sustainable Lifestyles Amongst Households In “Shauri Yako” Embu County

ABSTRACT Living sustainably is apparently the ultimate objective in the cosmos for the resilience of all biotic and abiotic phenomena. Paradoxically, sustainable lifestyles envisaged in sustainable development goals (SDGs), are almost an unfeasible end. Consumption of unrecorded alcohol is hypothesized in this study to be a major inhibitor to attainment of sustainable lifestyles. This study therefore, conducted in Embu County at Shauri “Yako,” sought to find out the effects of consumption...

Effectiveness Of Rainwater Harvesting As A Strategy For Flood Mitigation In Ruai Area, Nairobi County, Kenya

ABSTRACT Harvesting of rainwater is a strategy which primarily benefits the local human livelihoods and ecosystems. Ruai has gone through development boom and densitification, increased infrastructure such as roads, both single and multi dwellings leading to changes in the physical characteristic of the area hence increased surface run-off. Further Ruai and its environs are flat hence encouraging flooding .There has been a range of incidences of flooding in the area causing loss of property, ...


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