Sustainable Management Strategies for Chepkoilel-Sergoit Catchment (CSC): Linking Environmental, Water, and Food Security

Abstract

Due to rapidly increasing population, CSC has undergone unprecedented land use and land cover (LULC) transformations in the last three decades. This study carried out an integrated analysis of selected environmental, water, and food security parameters in the Catchment in order to identify management strategies that would optimize its sustainable management. The catchment was subdivided into three zones based on LU/LC and topography. The geology, LU/LC changes, soils, hydrology, and river ecosystem health were assessed. LU/LC changes were examined and quantified using supervised classification of Landsat imagery of 1995, 2014 and 2020 in ArcGIS 3.2, and ground-truthing. Soil study was carried out through review of existing published studies, study area reconnaissance visits, and close observation of exposed soil profiles. Hydro-meteorological data was analysed using hydrological time series, and selected water quality parameters were analysed. The LU/LC study showed that the catchment had lost 69% of its forest cover, while farmland increased by 44%, settlement increased by 261% and wetland declined by 64% during the period. Nitosols and Ferralsols were found to be predominant soils. The river ecosystem health of the whole catchment was found to be degraded with the degradation extent increasing from the upper to the lower zone. The study concluded that the catchment requires sustainable management strategy