Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Combining Sustainable Land Management Technologies to Combat Land Degradation and Improve Rural Livelihoods in Semi-arid Lands in Kenya

  • Published:
Environmental Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Drylands occupy more than 80 % of Kenya’s total land mass and contribute immensely to the national economy and society through agriculture, livestock production, tourism, and wild product harvesting. Dryland ecosystems are areas of high climate variability making them vulnerable to the threats of land degradation. Consequently, agropastoralists inhabiting these ecosystems develop mechanisms and technologies to cope with the impacts of climate variability. This study is aimed to; (1) determine what agropastoralists inhabiting a semi-arid ecosystem in Kenya attribute to be the causes and indicators of land degradation, (2) document sustainable land management (SLM) technologies being undertaken to combat land degradation, and (3) identify the factors that influence the choice of these SLM technologies. Vegetation change from preferred indigenous forage grass species to woody vegetation was cited as the main indicator of land degradation. Land degradation was attributed to recurrent droughts and low amounts of rainfall, overgrazing, and unsustainable harvesting of trees for fuelwood production. However, despite the challenges posed by climate variability and recurrent droughts, the local community is engaging in simple SLM technologies including grass reseeding, rainwater harvesting and soil conservation, and dryland agroforestry as a holistic approach combating land degradation and improving their rural livelihoods. The choice of these SLM technologies was mainly driven by their additional benefits to combating land degradation. In conclusion, promoting such simple SLM technologies can help reverse the land degradation trend, improve agricultural production, food security including access to food, and subsequently improve livelihoods of communities inhabiting dryland ecosystems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahmed S, Grainge M (1986) Potential of the Neem Tree (Azadirachta indica) for pest control and rural development. Econ Bot 40(2):201–209

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bennett JE, Palmer AR, Blackett MA (2012) Range degradation and land tenure change: insights from a ‘released’ communal area of eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Land Degrad Dev 23:557–568

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biazin B, Sterk G (2013) Drought vulnerability drives land-use and land cover changes in the Rift Valley dry lands of Ethiopia. Agric Ecosyst Environ 164:100–113

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bogdan AV, Pratt DJ (1967) Reseeding denuded pastoral land in Kenya. Republic of Kenya, Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Government Printers, pp 1–46

  • Bouma J (2002) Land quality indicators of sustainable land management across scales. Agric Ecosyst Environ 88:129–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradley D, Grainger A (2004) Social resilience as a controlling influence on desertification in Senegal. Land Degrad Dev 15:451–470

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Breshears DD, Cobb NS et al (2005) Regional vegetation die-off in response to global-change-type drought. PNAS 102:15144–15148

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bucagu C, Vanlauwe B et al (2013) Assessing farmers’ interest in agroforestry in two contrasting agro-ecological zones of Rwanda. Agrofor Syst 87:141–158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carr DL (2009) Population and deforestation: why rural migration matters. Prog Hum Geogr 33:355–378

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castellano MJ, Valone TJ (2007) Livestock, soil compaction and water infiltration rate: evaluating a potential desertification recovery mechanism. J Arid Environ 71:97–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Einstein G, Abernethy K (2000) Statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) Version 12.0. Furman University, Greenville

    Google Scholar 

  • Farooq MU, Saleem R et al (2003) Estimation of root and shoot biomass of Cenchrus ciliaris (Dhaman) under Barani conditions. Pak J Biol Sci 6:1808–1813

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gisladottir G, Stocking M (2005) Land degradation control and its global environmental benefits. Land Degrad Dev 16:99–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kassahun A, Snyman HA et al (2008) Livestock grazing behaviour along a degradation gradient in the Somali region of eastern Ethiopia. Afr J Range Forage Sci 25(1):1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kiome RM, Stocking M (1995) Rationality of farmer perception of soil erosion: the effectiveness of soil conservation in semi-arid Kenya. Glob Environ Change 5(4):281–295

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kituyi E, Marufu L et al (2001) Biofuel availability and domestic use patterns in Kenya. Biomass Bioenergy 20(2):71–82

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koech OK, Kinuthia RN et al (2011) Use of dryland tree species (Prosopis juliflora) seed pods as supplement feed for goats in the arid and semi-arid lands of Kenya. Environ Res J 5(2):66–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liniger HP, Mekdaschi Studer R et al (2011) Sustainable land management in practice—guidelines and best-practices for sub-Saharan Africa. TerrAfrica, World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

  • Marshall VM, Lewis MM et al (2012) Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) as an invader and threat to biodiversity in arid environments: a review. J Arid Environ 78:1–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mganga KZ, Kuzyakov Y (2014) Glucose decomposition and its incorporation into soil microbial biomass depending on land use in Mt. Kilimanjaro ecosystems. Eur J Soil Biol 62:1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mganga KZ, Musimba NKR et al (2010a) Improving hydrological properties of degraded soils in semi-arid Kenya. J Environ Sci Technol 3(4):217–225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mganga KZ, Nyangito MM et al (2010b) The challenges of rehabilitating denuded patches of a semi-arid environment in Kenya. Afr J Environ Sci Technol 4(7):430–436

    Google Scholar 

  • Mnene WN, Hanson J et al (2005) Genetic variation between ecotypic populations of Chloris roxburghiana grass detected through RAPD analysis. Afr J Range Forage Sci 22(2):107–115

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mrabet R (2002) Stratification of soil aggregation and soil organic matter under conservation tillage systems in Africa. Soil Tillage Res 66:119–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mulatya JM, Wilson J et al (2002) Root architecture of provenances, seedlings and cuttings of Melia volkensii: implications for crop yield in dryland agroforestry. Agrofor Syst 56:65–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muriuki G, Seabrook L et al (2011) Land cover change under unplanned human settlements: a study of the Chyulu Hills squatters, Kenya. Landsc Urban Plan 99:154–165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Musimba NKR, Nyariki DM et al (2001) The socio-economic, ecology and culture of bee-keeping among the Akamba community of southern Kenya. J Hum Ecol 12(3):207–216

    Google Scholar 

  • Mwang’ombe AW, Ekaya WN et al (2011) Livelihoods under climate variability and change: an analysis of the adaptive capacity of rural poor to water scarcity in Kenya’s drylands. J Environ Sci Technol 4:403–410

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naughton-Treves L, Kammen DM et al (2007) Burning biodiversity: woody biomass use by commercial and subsistence groups in western Uganda’s forests. Conserv Areas High Popul Density Sub-Sahar Afr 134(2):232–241

    Google Scholar 

  • Nyambati EM, Sollenberger LE et al (2006) The value of Acacia brevispica and Leucaena leucocephala seedpods as dry season supplements for claves in dry areas of Kenya. Afr J Agric Res 1(4):118–124

    Google Scholar 

  • Nyangito MM, Musimba NKR et al (2008) Range use and dynamics in the agropastoral system of southeastern Kenya. Afr J Environ Sci Technol 2(8):222–230

    Google Scholar 

  • Nyangito MM, Musimba NKR et al (2009) Hydrological properties of grazed perennial swards in semiarid Southeastern Kenya. Afr J Environ Sci Technol 3(2):026–033

    Google Scholar 

  • Olukoye GA, Kinyamario JI (2009) Community participation in the rehabilitation of a sand dune environment in Kenya. Land Degrad Dev 20:397–409

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Opiyo FEO, Ekaya WN et al (2011) Seedbed preparation influence on morphometric characteristics of perennial grasses of a semi-arid rangeland in Kenya. Afr J Plant Sci 5(8):460–468

    Google Scholar 

  • Runo MS, Muluvi GM et al (2004) Analysis of genetic structure in Melia volkensii (Gurke) populations using random amplified polymorphic DNA. Afr J Biotechnol 3(8):421–425

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saha HM, Kahindi RK et al (2008) Evaluation of manure from goats fed Panicum basal diet and supplemented with Madras thorn, Leucaena or Gliricidia. Trop Subtrop Agroecosyst 8:251–257

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwilch G, Bachmann F, Liniger HP (2009) Appraising and selecting conservation measures to mitigate desertification and land degradation based on stakeholder participation and global practices. Land Degrad Dev 20:308–326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwilch G, Bestelmeyer B, Bunning S et al (2011) Experiences in monitoring and assessment of sustainable land management. Land Degrad Dev 22:214–225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwilch G, Liniger HP, Hurni H (2014) Sustainable land management (SLM) practices in drylands: how do they address desertification threats? Environ Manage 54:983–1004

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Somarriba E (1988) Pasture growth and floristic composition under the shade of guava (Psidium guajava L.) trees in Costa Rica. Agrofor Syst 6:153–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Speranza CI, Kiteme B, Wiesmann U (2008) Droughts and famine: the underlying factors and the causal links among agro-pastoral households in semi-arid Makueni district, Kenya. Glob Environ Change 18:220–233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tiffen M, Mortimore M (2002) Questioning desertification in dryland sub-Saharan Africa. Nat Resour Forum 26:218–233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Visser N, Morris C et al (2007) Restoring bare patches in the Nama-Karoo of South Africa. Afr J Range Forage Sci 24(2):87–96

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wardell DA, Reenberg A, Tøttrup C (2003) Historical footprints in contemporary land use systems: forest cover changes in savannah woodlands in the Sudano-Sahelian zone. Glob Environ Change 13(4):235–254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wasonga VO, Ngugi RK et al (2003) Traditional range condition and trend assessment: lessons from Pokot and Il Chamus pastoralists of Kenya. Anthropologist 5(2):79–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Wekesa L, Muturi G et al (2012) Economic viability of Melia volkensii (Gurkii) production on smallholdings in drylands of Kenya. Int Res J Agric Sci Soil Sci 2(8):364–369

    Google Scholar 

  • Wessels KJ, Prince SD et al (2007) Relevance of rangeland degradation in semi-arid northeartern South Africa to the non-equilibrium theory. Ecol Appl 17:815–827

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yirga G, Koru B et al (2012) Assessment of beekeeping practices in Asgede Tsimbla district, Northern Ethiopia: absconding, bee forage and bee pests. Afr J Agric Res 7(1):1–5

    Google Scholar 

  • Young A (1988) Agroforestry and its potential to contribute to land development in the tropics. J Biogeogr 15:19–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zaal F, Oostendorp RH (2002) Explaining a miracle: intensification and the transition towards sustainable small-scale agriculture in dryland Machakos and Kitui districts, Kenya. World Dev 30(7):1271–1287

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Funds for this research were provided by the European Commission under the Agricultural Innovations for Drylands Africa (AIDA), Grant Number 043863-SSA Africa (2006). The lead author would also like to sincerely thank the Tropical Biology Association (TBA) for English editing and inviting him to participate in the TBA-NK-NMK DRECA Specialist Training Workshop on Communicating and Disseminating Research Results (2011) where the motivation and drive to write this paper was drawn.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Range and Wildlife Sciences, School of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, South Eastern Kenya University (SEKU), P.O. Box 170-90200, Kitui, Kenya

    K. Z. Mganga & N. K. R. Musimba

  2. Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, School of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, South Eastern Kenya University (SEKU), P.O. Box 170-90200, Kitui, Kenya

    D. M. Nyariki

Authors
  1. K. Z. Mganga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. N. K. R. Musimba
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. D. M. Nyariki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to K. Z. Mganga.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Mganga, K.Z., Musimba, N.K.R. & Nyariki, D.M. Combining Sustainable Land Management Technologies to Combat Land Degradation and Improve Rural Livelihoods in Semi-arid Lands in Kenya. Environmental Management 56, 1538–1548 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-015-0579-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-015-0579-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation