Watershed Stakeholders’ Awareness and Perceptions About the Land Use Practices on Sustainable Management of Nyando Wetland, Kenya

Abstract

Nyando Wetland has numerous resources that support important economic and ecological activities. Lack of awareness and negative perceptions among watershed stakeholders result in negative occurrences such as burning, drainage, and clearing of land for grazing and agriculture; over-exploitation of wetland resources and dumping of wastes. These activities interfere with the well-being of the wetland, putting it at risk of degradation or depletion of resources amid an urgent need for protection. As such, Nyando Wetland sustainable management is in limbo, questioning the viability of watershed stakeholders’ awareness and perceptions about the land use practices on sustainable management in the planning process. This paper employs a mixed research design to assess watershed stakeholders’ awareness and perceptions about the land use practices for sustainable management. This will foster shared responsibility and leverage local ecological knowledge to balance biodiversity protection with human resource use. The target population of the study consisted of 384 household heads, 45 heads of institutions, and 5 experts in wetland conservation and management. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 384 household heads at the household level. Purposive sampling was also used to select 45 heads of institutions and 5 experts for key informant interviews. Questionnaires, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and direct observation were used to collect primary data.  The literature review was used to collect secondary data. Cross-tabulation and Chi-Square were used to analyze data. Results show that stakeholders have divergent perceptions with varied levels of awareness about land use practices for sustainable management. Thus, watershed stakeholder education should be prioritized for effective management planning and decision-making. This will build local ownership, integrate diverse knowledge, and foster long-term ecological resilience. The paper recommends targeted communication, proactive engagement, and educational initiatives to raise stakeholder awareness for the development of positive perceptions in the execution of sustainable land use practices.