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
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
CHAPTER SIX:
6.1 SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS
6.2 CONCLUSION
6.3 RECOMMENDATIONS
6.4 AREAS FOR FURTHER STUDY
Objectives and Topics
The primary objective of this research is to evaluate land use changes within the Nanyuki River watershed and analyze their subsequent impact on stream discharge dynamics between 1985 and 2015. The study seeks to establish the correlation between shifting forest cover, increasing impervious surfaces, and the hydrological health of the river system to provide a basis for integrated watershed management.
- Analysis of land use and land cover (LULC) transformation over a 30-year period.
- Evaluation of precipitation and stream flow trends using statistical and hydro-climatic methods.
- Investigation of rainfall and stream discharge periodicity via continuous wavelet transform.
- Assessment of the correlation between land use change and stream discharge variability.
- Formulation of management and conservation recommendations for the Nanyuki River watershed.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Watersheds are land areas which catch and drain water to a particular location such as a stream, river, lake, ocean or other bodies of waters (Debarry, 2004).These land areas are examples of natural resources, as such they are limited in supply and valuable because they are the source of water for agricultural, industrial and domestic use.
Watersheds are vulnerable to change, because they form an integrated network and they are continuously being subjected to various disturbances (Debarry, 2004).These dynamics in the watershed that cause disturbances in the watersheds may be due to natural processes or anthropogenic activities. Examples of the natural processes that may cause these disturbances include climate change or erosion, while the anthropogenic activities include urbanization, deforestation and intensive agricultural practices. These changes in LULC are among the most important changes on the earth surface (Nunes & Auges, 1999).For instance, in the tropics grassland, woodland and forest conversion into cropland and pasture during the last few decades has risen dramatically (Lambin, et al., 2003).
Land is one of the vital components of life supporting system and thus a good health status should be maintained through its sustainable use. Unfortunately this is not the case, it has been used in an unsustainable way in the course of human civilisation (Showqi, et al., 2013). The LULC changes could be as a result of complicated interactions of socio economic diversification, technological advancement, demographic pressure and many other related conditions (Reid, et al., 2000).
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER ONE: Provides an introduction to the research, defining the background, problem statement, objectives, and the scope of the study regarding land use changes.
CHAPTER TWO: Reviews existing literature on watershed management, land use classification, and hydro-climatic analysis methods, including the theoretical and conceptual framework.
CHAPTER THREE: Describes the study area, including physical, socio-economic, and ecological characteristics of the Nanyuki River watershed.
CHAPTER FOUR: Details the research methodology, covering data collection, image processing techniques, and statistical approaches like the Mann-Kendall test.
CHAPTER FIVE: Presents the analysis and findings regarding land use patterns and hydro-climatic trends, including thematic maps and discharge data.
CHAPTER SIX: Summarizes the findings, draws conclusions on the relationship between land use and stream discharge, and offers recommendations for future management.
Keywords
Watershed management, Land use, Land cover, Stream discharge, Nanyuki River, Hydrology, Remote sensing, GIS, Mann-Kendall test, Wavelet analysis, Deforestation, Sustainability, Precipitation, Environmental degradation, Catchment area.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research project?
The research focuses on assessing the environmental changes within the Nanyuki River watershed, specifically identifying how land use conversions affect the volume and periodicity of stream discharge.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The study covers land use mapping, trend detection in rainfall and stream flow, the application of remote sensing for classification, and the analysis of hydrological periodicities.
What is the primary objective of the study?
The primary objective is to evaluate the influence of land use and land cover (LULC) changes on the stream discharge of the Nanyuki River between 1985 and 2015.
Which scientific methods are utilized?
The study employs GIS and remote sensing for land use mapping, the Mann-Kendall test for trend detection, and continuous wavelet transformation for analyzing hydro-climatic periodicities.
What is addressed in the main body?
The main body examines the physical and ecological setup of the catchment, technical data processing methods, and the empirical results regarding the decline of forest cover and its negative impact on stream discharge.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include Nanyuki River watershed, LULC changes, stream discharge, hydrological trends, and wavelet analysis.
What does the study conclude regarding land use and water availability?
The study concludes that increased impervious surfaces and deforestation have negatively impacted the watershed, leading to reduced infiltration and a long-term decrease in stream discharge.
Why are wavelet transformations important for this study?
Wavelet transformations allow the researcher to effectively decompose non-stationary time series data to uncover dominant modes of variability and inter-annual cycles in rainfall and stream flow that would otherwise remain hidden.
- Quote paper
- Duncan Mogosi (Author), 2015, Assessment of Land Use Changes and Its Effect on Stream Discharge in Nanyuki River Watershed, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/378665
