Assessment of Land Use Changes and Its Effect on Stream Discharge in Nanyuki River Watershed

A Research Project

Bachelor Thesis , 2015 , 56 Pages , Grade: A

Geography / Earth Science - Cartography, Geographic Information Science and Geodesy

Kenya is endowed with an array of internal wetlands dispersed around the main water basins, as it is in many developing countries in the world, its rural population is characterized by rapid growth rate over the past years. As such, watersheds are continually facing environmental degradation due to the limited supply of the resource and over exploitation to cater for this increasing population. This has resulted to immense land use conversion in the watershed that has a ripple effect on several elements of the watershed. Per se, the research aimed at assessing the land use change and its influence on stream discharge in Nanyuki River Watershed.

The main objective of the study is to assess the land use changes and its effect on stream discharge in Nanyuki River watershed. This is done by identifying and mapping the land uses; assessing the trend and periodicity in stream discharge and precipitation; and the correlation between forest cover and stream discharge between 1985 and 2008.

Based on the satellite imagery the land use change was assessed, where the forest cover areas were calculated and correlated to stream discharge data. This correlation established the direction and significance of association. The results showed an increased land use change where the forest cover in the watershed is reducing and impervious surfaces were also increasing between 1985 and 2015. The precipitation and stream discharge decreased between 1985 and 2015.The correlation between land use changes and the stream discharge showed a negative association. This means that as the land use changes increases the stream discharge decreases. The study concluded with recommendations that may be employed so as to realize an effective integrated watershed management plan that provides guidance on coordinated management, conservation and development within Nanyuki River watershed.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

ABSTRACT

LIST OF FIGURES

LIST OF TABLES

LIST OF PLATES

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

CHAPTER ONE:
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1.4 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
1.6 JUSTIFICATION
1.7 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
1.8 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
1.9 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
1.10 DEFINITION OF OPERATIONAL TERMS
1.11 CHAPTER OUTLINES

CHAPTER TWO:
2.0 INTRODUCTION
2.1 LAND USE/COVER CHANGES
2.2 LAND USE CLASSIFICATION
2.3 RAINFALL AND STREAM FLOW TREND DETECTION AND ANALYSIS
2.4 WAVELET ANALYSIS IN HYDROCLIMATIC STUDIES
2.5 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
2.6 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

CHAPTER THREE:
3.1 PHYSICAL SETUP
3.1.1 POSITION AND SIZE
3.1.2 CATCHMENT DESCRIPTION
3.1.3 PHYSIOGRAPHY
3.1.4 CLIMATIC CONDITION
3.2 SOCIO-ECONOMIC SETUP
3.2.1 DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
3.2.2 ETHNIC GROUPS
3.2.3 ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
3.3 ECOLOGICAL SETUP
3.3.1 NATURAL RESOURCE IN THE AREA OF STUDY
3.3.2 CONTRIBUTORS AND EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN THE AREA OF STUDY

CHAPTER FOUR:
4.1 RESEARCH DESIGN
4.2 NATURE AND SOURCES OF DATA
4.3 METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION
4.4 METHODS OF DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION
4.4.1 Vector and Raster Image Processing and Analysis
4.4.2 STREAM DISCHARGE DATA ANALYSIS
4.4.3 RAINFALL DATA ANALYSIS
4.5 CONSTRAINTS OF DATA ANALYSIS AND COLLECTION

CHAPTER FIVE
5.1 LAND USE/ LAND COVER CHANGE
5.2 RAINFALL AND STREAM DISCHARGE ANALYSIS
5.2.1 Rainfall analysis
5.2.2 Stream discharge analysis

The periodicity analysis of April and November showed similar results in the two continuous wavelet transform the majority periodicity appeared in the power spectrum of 2-3 year band between 1987 and 1997. This means that in the 10 years’ time the inter annual cycle of stream flow has been occurring after two to three years.

CHAPTER SIX:
6.1 SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS
6.2 CONCLUSION
6.3 RECOMMENDATIONS
6.4 AREAS FOR FURTHER STUDY

REFERENCES:

APPENDICES:

APPENDIX 1: OBSERVATION CHECKLIST

APPENDIX 2: CONFUSION MATRIX

APPENDIX 3: MANN-KENDALL TEST RESULTS

• Course: Land Resource Planning and Management
• Grade: A
• Author: Duncan Mogosi (Author)
• Publication Year: 2015
• Pages: 56
• Catalog Number: V378665
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668556980
• ISBN (Book): 9783668556997
• Language: English
• Tags: land assessment, geography, kenya, watershed, nanyuki river