Geography Research Papers/Topics

Quarrying and Land Degradation in Nyakach Sub County, Kenya

Abstract/Overview Land degradation is a problem facing humanity on earth today as it threatens food security as well as viable land use activities. This study considered quarrying as a form of land degradation using human beings as geomorphic agents. The study established the extent of quarrying effects on land degradation on land use activities such as agriculture, transportation and biodiversity. The indicators of land degradation were soil erosion marked by presence of gullies, sand bu...

Evidence of Climate Change and Seasonal Agricultural Drought in Kakamega South Sub-County, Kakamega County, Kenya

Abstract Changes in climate have led to shifts in weather patterns outside the normal range of variation over a given time period, attributed to either human action or natural causes. This has led to reduced precipitation, which consequently results in reduced water availability for farming in some seasons, hence the seasonal agricultural drought. This has greatly impacted smallholder farmers, lowering their agricultural productivity. This study was undertaken in Kakamega South Sub-County in...

Probing the equatorial ionosphere using spread-F signatures and GPS scintillations at Maseno in East Africa

Abstract The Maseno (0.0°S, 34.6°E) ionosonde and the Mbarara (0.6°S, 30.7°E) GPS SCINDA receiver have been used to probe the equatorial ionosphere of the East Africa region using data obtained in 2012 and 2015. The equatorial spread-F (ESF) which appears as a spread on the F-layer on ionograms has been classified and their occurrence were found to have correspondence with GPS nighttime scintillations. The spread-F at equatorial and low-latitudes normally occurs during nighttime hours. T...

The status and challenges of a modern irrigation system in Kenya: A systematic review

Abstract The modernization efforts of the irrigation subsector in Kenya have been hampered by several challenges. This review describes the status and challenges facing irrigated agriculture in Kenya. The results indicated that as of 2018, the developed irrigation schemes covered an area of 222,240 ha, which is 16% of the irrigation potential of 1.34 million ha. Most large-scale irrigation schemes use the furrow system. Private and commercial farms and smallholder irrigation schemes use mo...

Effects of oil exploration on surface water quality- a review

Abstract The oil industry is a source of revenue and foreign exchange for an economy. Nevertheless, oil exploration is an inherent risk to the environment due to the pollution of water resources, especially surface water resources. The main waste is produced water which is increasing around the world .As a consequence,water pollution resulting from normal oil drilling, refining, distribution, and accidents is the principal concern of oil exploration in the environment. Oil pollution is assoc...

Urban Proximity and Its Influence on Peri Urban Land Use Pattern

Abstract Urbanisation has caused unprecedented land use changes around urban settlements, leading to enormous socio-economic impacts on peri-urban residents. The spatial growth of urban settlements beyond designated boundaries into the urban fringes has resulted in the transformation of prime agricultural land into commercial and residential uses, effectively altering traditional land use patterns. The objective of this study was to establish the influence of proximity to urban settlements o...

A Systematic Review on Advancements in Remote Sensing for Assessing and Monitoring Land Use and Land Cover Changes Impacts on Surface Water Resources in Semi-Arid Tropical Environments

Abstract: This study aimed to provide a systematic overview of the progress made in utilizing remote sensing for assessing the impacts of land use and land cover (LULC) changes on water resources (quality and quantity). This review also addresses research gaps, challenges, and opportunities associated with the use of remotely sensed data in assessment and monitoring. The progress of remote sensing applications in the assessment and monitoring of LULC, along with their impacts on water qualit...

Landlocked African Countries and What You Need to Know About Them

A landlocked country is a country that does not have territory connected to an ocean or whose coastlines lie on endorheic basins.  An endorheic basin, also called an internal drainage system, is a drainage basin that normally retains water and allows no outflow to other external bodies of water, such as rivers or oceans, but drainage converges instead into lakes or swamps, permanent or seasonal, that equilibrate through evaporation. Africa is a continent of many countries; 55, to be exact. O...

Seasonal Variation Of Tsetse Fly Species Abundance And Prevalence Of Trypanosomes In The Maasai Steppe, Tanzania

ABSTRACT Tsetse flies, the vectors of trypanosomiasis, represent a threat to public health and economy in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite these concerns, information on temporal and spatial dynamics of tsetse and trypanosomes remain limited and may be a reason that control strategies are less effective. The current study assessed the temporal variation of the relative abundance of tsetse fly species and trypanosome prevalence in relation to climate in the Maasai Steppe of Tanzania in 2014-2015. ...

Social norms and cultural services - community belief system and use of wildlife products in the Northern periphery of the Korup National Park, South-West Cameroon

Abstract In many traditional societies, beliefs and taboos influence human behaviour towards the natural environment. Such beliefs and taboos are informal institutions where norms rather than official laws determine land use and nature protection in general and wildlife in particular. The present study on beliefs and taboos of the people of the northern periphery of the Korup National Park is an attempt to reveal how norms influence their relation to the environment. A total of 195 household...

A Comparative Study of Food Security in Africa Amid Growing Population

It's a comparative study of African countries with the highest GDP against their food production amid the ever growing population to ascertain if truly they are under threat of food security.  Abstract Sustainable food security is every nation’s goal. For a nation to achieve sustainable food security, the food supply must exceed the demand. Using trend analysis, this study is an attempt to compare the nature of food security from 2000 to 2014 in Nigeria to selected African countries in eac...