Coastal zone management, the sustainable use of coastal resources, is now high on the international agenda. In Kenya, the Coast Environmental Reseach Station (CERS) was started in Malindi in 1996... Show moreCoastal zone management, the sustainable use of coastal resources, is now high on the international agenda. In Kenya, the Coast Environmental Reseach Station (CERS) was started in Malindi in 1996 to liaise with other coastal organizations concerned with environmental issues. This volume contains 8 papers which are based on thesis research completed so far on the coastal zone. J. Abuodha and W.M. Musila analyse the sediments and dunes of the Sabaki River. T.M. Munyao studied sediments in the Shirazi-Funzi lagoon. S.O. Anyango, M.P. Tole, E.K. Ucakuwun and J.M. Mzuga examined groundwater in Kwale district. E.M. Ouko, S. Manohar, and F.K. Kamau were concerned with mangroves. P.M. Matiku, L. Bennun and J.F.E. Odanga, finally, studied one of the threatened bird species in the Arabuko-Sokoke forest Show less
In order to make ends meet, many poor urban households in sub-Saharan Africa fall back on farming activities, either within the city boundaries or in the rural areas from which they come. The... Show moreIn order to make ends meet, many poor urban households in sub-Saharan Africa fall back on farming activities, either within the city boundaries or in the rural areas from which they come. The central question raised in this article is whether access to farmland influences a household's food situation. The findings come from a study on urban agriculture in Korogocho, one of two slum areas in Nairobi, Kenya, where a survey was conducted in 1994. The results suggest that access to land does have a positive impact on the welfare situation of urban households, although not necessarily on the food situation as well. Nonetheless, households with access to a rural plot seem to be better off than households without access to any land, at least in terms of the overall food situation as perceived by the respondents themselves. In addition, households with access to a rural plot only also seem to be better off than those with access to only an urban plot. This would imply that access to rural land is more favourable for a household's food situation than access to urban land. The fact that half of the very poor households in Korogocho claiming to have access to rural land did not use that land themselves further suggests that the situation may be more complex than is generally assumed. Bibliogr., note, sum Show less
Water is voor de economie van de Maasai in Kajiado District (Kenia) van essentieel belang. Dit verklaart de door de Maasai getoonde wil om de beschikbaarheid van water te verbeteren. De... Show moreWater is voor de economie van de Maasai in Kajiado District (Kenia) van essentieel belang. Dit verklaart de door de Maasai getoonde wil om de beschikbaarheid van water te verbeteren. De watervoorraden en -voorzieningen zijn door de toegenomen autonome vraag, maar meer nog door een interactie van met name politiek juridische processen in verleden en heden in toenemende mate onder druk komen te staan. De pogingen van de koloniale en post-koloniale autoriteiten en donoren om de waterproblematiek op te lossen, lagen voornamelijk op het vlak van 'boreholes' (diepe boorgaten). Door technische, financiële en organisatorische problemen die inherent zijn aan 'boreholes', hebben deze weinig bijgedragen aan de oplossing van de heersende waterproblematiek. Het traditionele antwoord van de Maasai om toegang tot voldoende water voor dier en mens veilig te stellen bestaat uit het graven van 'shallow wells' (ondiepe waterputten) in of naast de droge rivierbeddingen. Tot een bepaalde diepte zijn deze waterbronnen een goedkoop en duurzaam alternatief voor de 'boreholes'. De donorgemeenschap zou meer oog moeten hebben voor dergelijke lokale, kleinschalige en goedkopere alternatieven in plaats van moderne, grootschalige en dure technieken. Show less
This paper describes urban farming in Nairobi, Kenya: its magnitude and characteristics, its importance for those involved, the constraints faced by urban farmers, the impact of urban farming on... Show moreThis paper describes urban farming in Nairobi, Kenya: its magnitude and characteristics, its importance for those involved, the constraints faced by urban farmers, the impact of urban farming on the environment, the legal and institutional setting, and the prospects for urban farming. The paper is based on four studies carried out in Nairobi by Diana Lee-Smith et al. (1984-1985), Donald Freeman (1987), Alice Mboganie Mwangi (1994), and Pascale Dennery (1994) Show less
For a sizeable portion of Kenya's coastal population food security is not assured. Furthermore, the current food pattern, which relies heavily on maize and cassava, is lacking in dietary quality... Show moreFor a sizeable portion of Kenya's coastal population food security is not assured. Furthermore, the current food pattern, which relies heavily on maize and cassava, is lacking in dietary quality and variety. This results in nutritional problems among the population which are partly hidden, but which surface most clearly among vulnerable groups such as women and children. These problems can be partly prevented by appropriate caring behaviour. This paper, which is partly based on research carried out in the Coastal Region in 1985-1986, describes food habits, food availability and food adequacy in rural households, energy and nutrient intake by food groups and households, and the nutritional status of children. The final sections examine nutrition programmes and interventions in the Kenya Coast area by governmental and nongovernmental organizations Show less
