APPLICATION OF GIS IN TRACKING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN

SOUTHERN VIHIGA HILLS: IMPLICATIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL

CONSERVATION IN KENYA

By

Wycliffe Aluoch OBOKA, Calvince Ouko OTHOO

The Co-operative University College of Kenya

Nairobi , Kenya
OUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATION

 Background information
 Problem statement

 Objectives of the study

 Methodology

 Results and Discussion

 Conclusions

 Recommendations
BACKGROUND
 Southern Vihiga Hills present a complicated history of land
degradation in Kenya drawing from the colonial times.
 Colonial Government established Maragoli Hills forest
through a legal notice number 266 of the Kenya gazette
supplement number 28 of 1957.
 Initiatives by Colonial government resisted, uprooting
seedlings ( Mwangi, 2003).
 Maragoli Hills (318.8 acres) declared Central Government
Forest through the Legal Notice number 174 in 1964
 Local communities destruction and sabotage.
 Last sections of the forest was cleared in 1996 (Nekesa,
2003). Further efforts to rehabilitate frustrated by members
of the community who uproot the planted seedlings
(Ochanda, 2014).
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

 While environmental degradation in the five

major water towers in Kenya is well
documented and efforts to rehabilitate them
put in place, scientific studies on forest loss
and environmental degradation in hilly areas of
southern Vihiga County are scanty.
OBJECTIVES AND RESEARCH QUESTION
The objectives of the study were to:
1. To determine the extent of environmental
degradation in southern Vihiga Hills using GIS
technology; and
2. To analyze water quality of streams originating
from southern Vihiga hills.
METHODOLOGY OF STUDY
Study area
The study was carried out in vihiga hills in southern parts of vihiga county lying between longitudes 34o30’ and
35o0’ E, and latitudes 0o and 0o15’ N. The county covers a total area of 531.0 km
METHODOLOGY CONT’…..
Data collection Classified land sat image of the study area in
 GPS surveys; 1988 showing Maragoli forest under forest
 Photography;
cover
 Satellite imagery;

 Interviews

 Water sampling

Data analysis
 GIS analysis

 Analysis of change and areas

 Physicochemical and biological

analysis of water quality
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS : Analysis of the extent of
environmental degradation
1. Analysis of earlier topographic maps and landsat images of the catchment showed
that southern Vihiga Hill was heavily forested before 1990s.
2. Interviews with elderly residents in the area of study the study established that all
hills in southern Vihiga hills had thick vegetation cover up to 1970s
ABOVE: observable change in catchment area between 1988 and 2016
BELLOW: landsat imagery analysis on catchment degradation on Maragoli
forest

Change in catchment area calculated from satellite imagery

Year Area (sq.km) Chnange (sq.km) Percentage change
1988 4.822798 0 0
1990 4.49114 -0.33166 6.9
1995 3.915938 -0.90686 18.8
2011 0 -4.8228 100
2015 0 -4.8228 100
Total Loss area 100

Between 1988 and 1990, there was loss of 0.32Km2 area of forest cover, which
translated to 6.9% loss. Between 1990 and 1995, there was loss of the
3.91km2 (18.8%), while in 2008, there was 100% loss in forest cover
Field Survey in Emusunguti hills established a case of heavy erosion with
deep galleys and collapse of hill slope in several areas and heavy sand
harvesting activities in streams as a result of erosion in hilly areas
WATER QUALITY
Water samples for physiochemical and biological
analysis from 3 streams: Ebisundi, Wakoo and
Uhaya streams.
Results revealed departures from the WHO water
quality standards.
very high population of Coliform bacteria and
E.Coli in the water in all the three streams
sampled in both dry and wet seasons.
These further confirmed the degradation
activities in the catchment
SUMMARIES OF DEVIATIONS FROM THE
WHO/KBS STANDARDS FOR TESTED
PARAMETERS
CONT’….
CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS

study had 2 key conclusions:

1. Environmental degradation taking place poses risk of
hill collapse, landslides and related disasters.
2. Water from streams not fit for human consumption .

Key Recommendations:
1. Adapt an incentive based strategy for rehabilitation of
Maragoli forest
2. Vihiga County Government to prioritize and invest in
projects of water treatment and supply.
3. County governments in Kenya should map all hilly
areas, zone them off.
AMESEGANALO