Analysis of spatial and temporal changes and the correlation between agricultural land use intensity and land degradation

摘要

Land degradation averages 27% in Africa, 35% in Kenya, and up to 50% in Nyakach District. Despite the suitable modified Equatorial climate of the Lake Victoria Basin and fairly fertile soils, Nyakach District in Kenya is a food-deficit area. Farmers in the district have attempted to practice agricultural land use intensification but this has been accompanied with increased land degradation; indicating a mismatch between the two variables. This mismatch may lead to both human and environmental disaster if no remedy is found soon. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine spatial and temporal variations of agricultural land use intensity and land degradation and to examine the relationship between land degradation and agricultural land use intensity in Nyakach District, Kenya. Remote sensing techniques were used to collect both current and historical data on percent cultivated area, per cent natural vegetation cover, per cent bare ground, and per cent built-up area. Knowledge of the relationship between agricultural land use intensity and land degradation is a prerequisite for food security and ecological balance not only in Nyakach District, but in other regions as well. This research therefore fits within the framework of Poverty Reduction Strategy and the Millennium Development Goals. The study established that as agricultural land use intensity increases, land degradation diminishes.