Land user based land degradation and livelihoods assessment: application in sustainable management of Lake Naivasha -Kenya

The study was carried out to determine the effectiveness of using a land user based land degradation and livelihood assessment approach, with the overall aim of improving the sustainable management of Lake Naivasha. The study focused on two sub-catchments of Wanjohi and Turasha within the Lake Basin. A cross-sectional survey was selected for this study to allow for triangulation on information collected and to be able to infer the results from the sample to the larger population. The study population was all the inhabitants of Wanjohi and Turasha watersheds within Lake Naivasha Basin. A sample of 209 inhabitants of the two sites was selected as respondents. A structured questionnaire, actual field measurements of land degradation and a checklist were used to collect the data. The Data analysis was done using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) and presented using descriptive statistics, frequency tables, percentages and pie charts. The findings from the study have established that Land user based land degradation and livelihoods assessments approaches/tools can significantly improve the appreciation of the magnitude of land degradation, its impacts on livelihoods, role of appropriate interventions and level of adoption of the recommended intervention regimes by the land users. Land degradation also results in a narrow scope of livelihood strategies for households, aggravating poverty levels in many households leading to more environmental degradation and low crop and livestock production. It was also established that a well-managed green water credit scheme can go a long way in supporting the sustainable management of the lake through supporting other alternative livelihoods and also in improving water use efficiency at farm level. The results from this study can inform policy formulation by the relevant government environmental agencies to address effects of land degradation in the country through adoption of a land user based land degradation and livelihoods assessment to improve on technology adoption and promote the use of innovative solutions like the green water credit schemes.