ABSTRACT
Wetland ecosystems provide a wide range of goods and services that are important in
supporting the livelihood of many rural communities. Despite their importance, overexploitation
and in the absence of conservation measures, wetlands continue to be
degraded by hurrian activities. Population growth pressure and .subsequent food
insecurity have lead to the communities living near the wetland areas to reclaim the
wetlands, thereby threatening the existence of the ecosystem. Factors responsible for
wetland degradation in sub-catchments are many and varied. They include lack of
understanding of the factors influencing people's access and decisions on use of
wetland resources. There is minimal or no research conducted to understand the
factors influencing rural household decisions on use of wetland resources in the subcacthment.
In order to understand and improve management of wetland this study
sought to identify and.analyse types of wetlands, assess the various households socioeconomic
factors inffuencing wetlands resources use and conservation methods used
within the Ngaciuma sub-catchment. To achieve this, a combination of key informant
interviews, transect walk, observations and household survey were used to collect
data. A structured questionnaire was administered to 96 households to solicit data on
the households' socio-economic characteristics and wetland use patterns. SWOT
analysis was used to analyze the conservations methods and sources of threats to
wetland resources. ./ stratified random sampling technique was used to select
households for interview. The data generated was coded and entered into the
Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) and analyzed using descriptive statistics
and cross tabulation to describe various patterns influencing households' use of
wetland resources. Correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship
between the household factors and use of wetland resources. Chi square was also
used to compare the relationship between the expected and the observed wetland use.
The results revealed that marshes are the most common type of wetlands which are
dominated by tyha species vegetation. The findings also revealed that education,
income levels, household size and.proximity to wetlands influence the use of wetland
resources at (p< 0.05) chi-square> test. The most common methods used in
conservation were planting of water friendly trees and soil conservation. Major
challenges of wetland conservationinclude insufficient information and destruction of
wetlands by wild animals. The study recommends formulation of comprehensive
management plans, which have legal backing, to be used to govern the use of
wetlands resources. There is also need for' co-management of wetlands between the state and the communities.
KITHINJI, F (2021). Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Household Wetland Resources Conservation And Use In Ngaciuma Sub-Catchment, Upper Tana, Kenya. Afribary. Retrieved from https://track.afribary.com/works/socio-economic-factors-influencing-household-wetland-resources-conservation-and-use-in-ngaciuma-sub-catchment-upper-tana-kenya
KITHINJI, FELIX "Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Household Wetland Resources Conservation And Use In Ngaciuma Sub-Catchment, Upper Tana, Kenya" Afribary. Afribary, 28 May. 2021, https://track.afribary.com/works/socio-economic-factors-influencing-household-wetland-resources-conservation-and-use-in-ngaciuma-sub-catchment-upper-tana-kenya. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.
KITHINJI, FELIX . "Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Household Wetland Resources Conservation And Use In Ngaciuma Sub-Catchment, Upper Tana, Kenya". Afribary, Afribary, 28 May. 2021. Web. 27 Nov. 2024. < https://track.afribary.com/works/socio-economic-factors-influencing-household-wetland-resources-conservation-and-use-in-ngaciuma-sub-catchment-upper-tana-kenya >.
KITHINJI, FELIX . "Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Household Wetland Resources Conservation And Use In Ngaciuma Sub-Catchment, Upper Tana, Kenya" Afribary (2021). Accessed November 27, 2024. https://track.afribary.com/works/socio-economic-factors-influencing-household-wetland-resources-conservation-and-use-in-ngaciuma-sub-catchment-upper-tana-kenya