Abstract Human activities have potential adverse effects on freshwater ecosystems, which sustain a wide range of ecosystem services such as the provision of potable water, nutrient cycling, and a habitat for organisms such as decomposer macro-invertebrates. The effect of these activities with regard to water quality and invertebrates has been established and well documented. However, information on the effect of human activities on leaf litter breakdown as an indicator of river ecosystem int...
Abstract Human-related activities are known to have deleterious effects on the water quality of aquatic ecosystems globally. However, there is limited information on the impact of similar perturbations in tropical regions, especially the River Chania in Kiambu County, Kenya, which is an important source of water for humans and animals and also provides habitat for a variety of flora and fauna along its length. The aim of this study was to determine the spatial and temporal variations of sele...
Abstract The global demand for fresh water resources has been increasing over the years due to population growth, urbanization, industrialization, climate change and the global warming effect. The available water resources have reduced over time leaving a water demand deficit. Recycling and reuse of greywater has been touted as one of the strategies to augment the existing water resources. This study characterized the greywater from students’ hostels and prepared biochar from banana stalks...
Abstract Water insufficiency due to scarcity, poor distribution and high variability of rainfall in the Central Highlands of Kenya (CHK) and a decline in soil fertility have contributed to a continuous decrease in water productivity. To increase food production to match the growing population, soil management practices that ensure improved water productivity should be embraced. The study, therefore, sought to characterize rainfall and to establish the effects of selected soil management prac...
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...
Abstract/Overview Rainfall variability characterized by intense rainfall, more frequent droughts and unpredictable rainfall has devastating effects on rain-fed agriculture and dairy production in particular. Over the years, dairy cattle farmers in Keumbu Division have experienced fluctuations in milk production. The purpose of this study was to assess the coping and adaptation strategies employed by small-scale dairy farmers to counter the effects of climate change induced rainfall variab...