AbstractThis study employed mixed methods, including a survey of 400 households, 21 key informants, and 10 focus groups conducted in January-March 2019, to evaluate the contribution of Volcanoes ...National Park (VNP) conservation to local food security in Rwanda. Data was collected from communities within 0-5 km and 5-10 km park buffers, facilitating distance-based comparisons. Food security status was assessed using the Consolidated Approach to Reporting Indicators of Food Security. Despite government attention to food security, its integration into VNP conservation remains minimal. Shockingly, 71% of local residents experience food insecurity, concentrated within the 0-5 km buffer. Interestingly, while only 38% of households directly benefit from park conservation, 72% of these beneficiaries reside within the 0-5 km zone. This suggests that community conservation and revenue-sharing programs are disproportionately funded at the park’s edge, where human pressure on resources is most significant. These findings highlight the need for policy and strategy amendments, as well as revisions to the park management plan, to effectively integrate food security concerns into VNP conservation efforts. Linking a specified percentage of revenue-sharing funds to participation in relevant food security programs, co-managing land for conservation and community needs, weaving food aid into safety nets for vulnerable groups, prompt wildlife damage payouts for secured livelihoods and fostered coexistence, and skill training and microloans for diversifying income and curbing poaching are crucial for enhancing food security among households around the VNP.
Off‐grid solar systems provide clean and affordable energy sources. Adoption of off‐grid Solar energy is becoming increasingly popular in Kenya as a source of renewable energy, with an estimated 10 ...million people using off‐grid solar power systems as of the end of year 2022. However, the rising off‐grid solar systems technology uptake comes with a growing amount of solar e‐waste, which can have harmful environmental and health effects if not managed properly. Current data on the exact amount of solar e‐waste being generated in Kenya is unavailable and this amount will continue to rise with the expiry of many of these off‐grid solar systems lifespans. This study through stakeholder's workshop and document review data collection and analysis approaches, established that Kenya just like many countries in the Global South has a robust general waste policy and regulation management framework. However, it lacks specific policies and regulations on off‐grid‐solar electronic waste management a challenge that many countries in the Global North have made considerate steps in addressing. In addition, there is a lack of awareness of the hazardous nature of off‐grid solar systems' e‐waste components to both consumers and institutions of governance. There is a lack of adequate infrastructure and sufficient systems for off‐grid solar e‐waste management in the country. Enforcement and implementation challenges of the existing general waste regulations due to limited resources and capacity and corruption culture are major impending factors. This calls for the development of effective policies and regulations to ensure sustainable off‐grid solar e‐waste management in Kenya against the backdrop of the rising uptake of off‐grid solar systems.
Graphical showing the uptake of solar off‐grid energy systems envisaged to generate solar e‐waste. The development of effective policies and regulations will immensely contribute to sustainable solar e‐waste management in Kenya.
Understanding land use/land cover changes(LU/LC) linked to oil and gas exploration under changing climatic conditions in South Lokichar Basin is crucial.This knowledge will inform policy makers on ...appropriate sustainable vegetation cover management strategies for the sake of pastrolism practiced in the area.The LU/LC changes were assessed using multi-spatial and multi-temporal remotely sensed imageries acquired through Landsat 5TM and Landsat 8OLI/TIRS by use of ArcGIS.The study assessed medium resolution spatial imageries acquired for the area in both rainy and dry seasons,before oil and gas exploration developments begun in South Lokichar Basin between 2006-2011 and after commencement between 2012-2017.The study established that the average area in hectares under vegetation cover had declined since oil and gas exploration developments begun.A one sample t-test statistics indicated that the area under forest,shrubland and grassland cover had significantly reduced at 90% confidence interval with a p-value of 0.072,0.074 and 0.061 respectively.The study established a decline in NDVI from 1 to 0.433 for the rainy season and 0.411 to 0.122 for the dry season between 2006 and 2017 with a p-value of 0.009 <0.05 on paired t-test implying a significant change on vegetation cover.Sustainable management of vegetation cover is important to safeguard livestock forage.
Kenya's 2016 report card aimed to highlight the health and well-being of Kenyan children and youth using the best available evidence on the physical activity of Kenyan children and youth. The report ...pointed at areas where Kenya was succeeding and areas where more action is required.
Inclusive analyses of available data sources on the core indicators related to physical activity and body weights of Kenyan children and youth (5 to 17 years) were conducted. These were assigned grades based on a set of specific criteria.
Results show that Active Play, Active Transportation, Overweight and Obesity, and Sedentary Behavior were favorable with a grade of B. Overall Physical Activity, Organized Sport Participation, and School (infrastructure, policies, and programs) each received a grade of C, while Family and Peers, Government and Nongovernment organizations, as well as the Community and the Built Environment were assigned grade D.
Over 72% of Kenyan children and youth use active transportation to and from school and in their daily lives. Although majority of the children and youth have normal body weight, there is need to ensure that they meet and maintain the physical activity levels recommended by the World Health Organization. More needs to be done especially in relation to the governmental and nongovernmental organizations, organized sports participation, as well as involvement of family and peers in promoting healthy active lifestyles among Kenyan children and youth. More representative data for all indicators are required in Kenya.
Kenya's blueprint on national development (Vision 2030) is based on the principles of sustainable development and it has prioritized agriculture to drive economic development. The current Kenya's ...Constitution (2010) provides for the right to a clean and healthy environment as well as to food of good quality. The aim of this study was to determine the environmental and public health risks of crops grown in the privately-owned land within Kisumu City, Kenya. This study was premised on the assumption that farm produce from privately - owned land is relatively safe as they are less predisposed to municipal wastes, waste water and exhaust fumes. Therefore, the study was carried out in privately-owned land away from road reserves and storm water from rivers, roads and built up urban areas. This study assessed concentrations of Lead, Zinc, Copper, Cadmium, Iron, and Chromium in 5 leafy vegetables; 2 root crops; and 1 fruit crop. The study involved a sample of 24 edible tissues of crops (5 leafy vegetables-vigna sinensis, chlorophytum comosum, crotolariabrevidens, amaranthus and kales; 2 root crops (dioscorea and Manihot esculenta), and 1 fruit crop (Carica papaya) and 24 soil samples. The results of this study show that there are low traces of heavy metals in the crops and those found in the soils, vegetables and fruits are within the WHO/FAO permissible standards. The highest concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cu, and Fe were found in carica papaya (0.303ppm) crotolariabrevidens (8.167ppm), crotolariabrevidens (13.6ppm), and amarantus (6.637ppm) respectively. The concentrations of Pb, Zn, CU, Fe, and Cr in the soils were, respectively, 0.313ppm, 0.359ppm, 0.054ppm, 123.093ppm and 0.049ppm, while the WHO/FAO standards for Pb, Zn, Cu, Fe, and Cr in soil are 100ppm, 300ppm, 100ppm, 50,000ppm, and 100ppm respectively. WHO/FAO limits for Pb, Cd, Cr, Zn, and Cu in vegetables and fruits are 0.5, 0.2, 1.2, 1.5, and 2.0 respectively. No traces of cadmium and chromium were found in the sampled crops. So, farm produce from such parcels of land are safe for human consumption. The results of the study indicate that it is possible to undertake safe urban farming on privately - owned land in the City for the benefit of the residents. So, necessary measures should be taken by the City authority to promote urban farming, including land use zoning and control of waste disposal into the farms. Other measures include regular monitoring of urban farming for quality and safety concerns.
The paper demonstrates that public open spaces in Nairobi City have been increasingly threatened by congestion and deterioration as result of the rapid rate of urbanisation (5–7.5%), poor planning, ...weak management and illegal alienation. According to the 1948 Master Plan for the city, city planning was premised on the neighbourhood concept with ample provision of public open spaces. However, after Kenya's independence in 1963, the implementation of the Master Plan was largely abandoned. Rapid and uncontrolled urbanisation meant that public open spaces that were intended to serve a population of 250,000 now serve over 3 million people. Public open spaces in the city suffer from degradation, overcrowding and insecurity, thus denying city residents access to the much-needed recreation and leisure facilities.
This study examines the impact of participatory forest management (PFM) on forest‑adjacent household livelihoods in the Arabuko-Sokoke forest in Kenya. It compares the impacts on households near PFM ...forests (PFM zones) with those near forests with no participatory management (non-PFM zones). The study questions were: does conservation of the Arabuko-Sokoke forest result in net household incomes?; does PFM increase net household benefits?; and are household benefits uniformly distributed within the 5 km PFM intervention zone? The hypotheses tested were: forest conservation benefits exceed forest conservation costs; PFM zones have higher household benefits than non-PFM zones; and benefits and costs reduce with distance from forest edge. In the year 2009, we collected data on household benefits and costs in PFM and non-PFM zones. Data were collected along 10 km transects at 1 km intervals, sampling 600 households up to 5 km away from the forest. The results show varied household dependence on the Arabuko-Sokoke forest. The forest benefits exceed costs in PFM zones but the forest is a cost in non-PFM zones, and costs and benefits reduce with distance from forest edge. The study concludes that, though not cheap, PFM is a tool that can help the Arabuko-Sokoke forest win the support of the adjacent local communities.
Bird communities composed of habitat specialists suffer considerable loss of species following disturbance (Ecol. Monogr. 41, 1971, 207–233). Participatory forest management (PFM) aims to ensure ...local ownership and support for forest conservation. This study determined if forest birds and forest quality in places under PFM is significantly higher than areas without PFM in Arabuko‐Sokoke forest. Forest quality data were collected in the PFM and no PFM zones in the Mixed forest (MF) and Cynometra Woodland (CW). Plot‐based approach was used to collect vegetation data along 1 km transects at intervals of 1 km sampling twenty transects and 200 plots in each of the study zones. Birds’ data were collected using 10‐min point‐counts along 88, 1 km long transects placed 1‐km apart sampling in 30 m radius‐plots at intervals of 100 m. Data were collected in 2008 and 2009. The results showed higher measures of forest quality in PFM zones than no PFM zones which showed higher measures of forest disturbance. The results did not show statistical differences in birds’ diversity indexes between PFM and no PFM zones indicating that the human‐induced disturbance has not reached critical ecological thresholds to affect birds’ species diversity. It can be deduced that PFM investment is leading to improved forest management.
Résumé
Les communautés aviaires composées d'espèces spécialistes d'habitats particuliers soufrent de pertes considérables d'espèces en raison de perturbations (Ecol. Monogr. 41, 1971, 207–233). La Gestion participative des forêts (GPF) vise à garantir l'appropriation et le soutien locaux de la conservation des forêts. Menée dans la forêt d’Arabuko‐Sokoke, cette étude a voulu déterminer si les oiseaux forestiers et la qualité de la forêt dans des endroits concernés par une GPF étaient significativement mieux que dans des zones qui ne le sont pas. Les données sur la qualité de la forêt ont été collectées dans des zones avec et sans GPF de la forêt mixte (FM) et de la forêt à Cynometra (FC). On a utilisé une approche par parcelles pour récolter des données sur la végétation le long de transects d'un kilomètre espacés entre eux d'un kilomètre, ce qui représentait au total 20 transects et 200 parcelles dans chaque zone étudiée. Les données sur les oiseaux ont été collectées sur des points de comptage de 10 min situés le long de 88 transects d'un kilomètre de long espacés d'un kilomètre, en échantillonnant des parcelles de 30 m de rayon tous les 100 m. Les données furent collectées en 2008 et 2009. Les résultats montrent que les mesures de qualité forestière faites en zones GPF sont supérieures à celles de zones non GPF qui présentaient des chiffres supérieurs de perturbation forestière. Les résultats ne montrent pas de différences statistiques des indices de diversité des oiseaux entre zones GPF et non GPF, ce qui indique que la perturbation n'a pas atteint les seuils critiques qui pourraient affecter la diversité des espèces d'oiseaux. On peut en déduire que l'investissement dans une GPF conduit à une amélioration de la gestion forestière.
Abstract
Bird communities composed of habitat specialists suffer considerable loss of species following disturbance (Ecol. Monogr.
41
, 1971, 207–233). Participatory forest management (
PFM
) aims to ...ensure local ownership and support for forest conservation. This study determined if forest birds and forest quality in places under
PFM
is significantly higher than areas without
PFM
in
A
rabuko‐
S
okoke forest. Forest quality data were collected in the
PFM
and no
PFM
zones in the
M
ixed forest (
MF
) and
C
ynometra Woodland (
CW
). Plot‐based approach was used to collect vegetation data along 1 km transects at intervals of 1 km sampling twenty transects and 200 plots in each of the study zones. Birds’ data were collected using 10‐min point‐counts along 88, 1 km long transects placed 1‐km apart sampling in 30 m radius‐plots at intervals of 100 m. Data were collected in 2008 and 2009. The results showed higher measures of forest quality in
PFM
zones than no
PFM
zones which showed higher measures of forest disturbance. The results did not show statistical differences in birds’ diversity indexes between
PFM
and no
PFM
zones indicating that the human‐induced disturbance has not reached critical ecological thresholds to affect birds’ species diversity. It can be deduced that
PFM
investment is leading to improved forest management.
Résumé
Les communautés aviaires composées d'espèces spécialistes d'habitats particuliers soufrent de pertes considérables d'espèces en raison de perturbations (Ecol. Monogr.
41
, 1971, 207–233). La Gestion participative des forêts (
GPF
) vise à garantir l'appropriation et le soutien locaux de la conservation des forêts. Menée dans la forêt d’
A
rabuko‐
S
okoke, cette étude a voulu déterminer si les oiseaux forestiers et la qualité de la forêt dans des endroits concernés par une
GPF
étaient significativement mieux que dans des zones qui ne le sont pas. Les données sur la qualité de la forêt ont été collectées dans des zones avec et sans
GPF
de la forêt mixte (
FM
) et de la forêt à
C
ynometra
(
FC
). On a utilisé une approche par parcelles pour récolter des données sur la végétation le long de transects d'un kilomètre espacés entre eux d'un kilomètre, ce qui représentait au total 20 transects et 200 parcelles dans chaque zone étudiée. Les données sur les oiseaux ont été collectées sur des points de comptage de 10 min situés le long de 88 transects d'un kilomètre de long espacés d'un kilomètre, en échantillonnant des parcelles de 30 m de rayon tous les 100 m. Les données furent collectées en 2008 et 2009. Les résultats montrent que les mesures de qualité forestière faites en zones
GPF
sont supérieures à celles de zones non
GPF
qui présentaient des chiffres supérieurs de perturbation forestière. Les résultats ne montrent pas de différences statistiques des indices de diversité des oiseaux entre zones
GPF
et non
GPF
, ce qui indique que la perturbation n'a pas atteint les seuils critiques qui pourraient affecter la diversité des espèces d'oiseaux. On peut en déduire que l'investissement dans une
GPF
conduit à une amélioration de la gestion forestière.
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