Perceived benefits and barriers to community participation in development projects – The case of Hazina ya Maendeleo ya Pwani on the Kenya coast

Benefits and barriers to participating in community development projects as perceived by participants were studied in coastal counties of Kenya through a World Bank-funded initiative known as Hazina ya Maendeleo ya Pwani (HMP). Primary data were collected from 326 randomly selected HMP beneficiaries using questionnaires. Data analysis using SPSS prioritized perceived benefits of participation as: acquisition of additional financial support (94 %); development of new skill (90.8 %); enhanced ability to meet own individual needs (90.8 %); development of valuable professional relationships (90.8 %); acquisition of useful knowledge (84.2 %); increased utilization of own expertise (77.9 %) heightened public profile (77.2 %); ability to contribute to community (71.9 %); ability to have greater impact (68.8 %); and enhanced ability to effect public policy (49.1 %). Perceived barriers were prioritized as: feeling unwelcome (89.4 %); lack of information or not knowing (87.9 %); feeling unable to make a difference (87.9 %); demanding work schedule at home or office (69.7 %); inadequate transportation (50.8 %); and concern for safety (43.2 %). The study concluded that while the perceived benefits still strengthen the argument for active involvement of communities, development practitioners need to incorporate “what’s in it for me?” as an incentive for participation in future. They should also develop context-specific strategies to overcome participation barriers

The quantification of the extent of flooding on selected major Afrotropical lakes to guide management implications

The extent of flooding in vulnerable inland and lacustrine systems can demonstrate the coverage and the magnitude of such phenomenon for policy enhancement. This study examined the extent of flooding due to rising water levels in selected Afrotropical lakes to guide interventions that would sustain the livelihoods of communities affected. The years that were most prone to flooding (2010 and 2020) were used as a baseline in the extraction of changes in spatial extent and area of lacustrine shoreline, and rainfall and satellite altimetry data, using geospatial and remote sensing technologies. The extent of flooding was strongly but insignificantly related (R2 = 0.63; p = 0.07) to the sizes of the studied lakes and the amount of rainfall. Lakes with the smallest surface areas such as Baringo and Naivasha showed the greatest increase in flooding of 52.63% and 42.62%, respectively. Larger lakes such as Lakes Victoria (1.05%), Turkana (3.77%), and Tanganyika (0.07%) had the lowest increases in areal extent. Furthermore, the topography of the lakes studied further determined the residence time and the extent of flooding, such that lakes such as Edward (−0.09%) and Rukwa (−3.25%) receded during the period when other lakes were flooding. The information and data presented here provides the most up-to-date quantification of flooding to support adaptation strategies for inland lake systems and guide policy implementation

Determinants of sustainability for community based water projects: the case of Hazina ya Maendeleo ya Pwani in coastal Kenya

Sustainability of development projects is considered essential for the continued delivery of services to beneficiary communities beyond external financing. However, various factors cause community projects to fail the sustainability test. This study investigated the determinants of sustainability for community-based water projects implemented through World Bank and Kenya Government financing known as Hazina ya Maendeleo ya Pwani. Research was conducted using sustainability criteria comprising social, organizational, technical and financial aspects that were selected based on literature review and community perceptions. The research was conducted in Kenya’s coastal region using data collected from 285 respondents. Frequencies, means and percentages were used to describe data while the Structural Equation Modeling technique determined factors influencing sustainability. Results illustrated that all the four indicators assessed predict sustainability. However, only the technical and financial indicators influence sustainability significantly. In conclusion, while it is important to incorporate all the four indicators during planning and designing of community-based water projects, special attention must focus on financial and technical aspects. The study recommends that building the capacity of Community Based Organizations in terms of technical competence and financial resources to support operation and maintenance is a requirement, rather than a choice, for sustainability of community-based water projects

Distribution and Abundance of Candacia Dana, 1846 and Paracandacia Grice

Abstract-The distribution and abundance of copepods belonging to the genera Candacia and Paracandacia (family Candaciidae) within the inshore, shelf and offshore waters of the Kenya coast are presented. The copepod species are widely distributed, at low abundances (9 to 240 ind.100/m 3 ) within the inshore waters, which increases to a maximum (40 to 360 ind.100/m 3 ) within the shelf waters and decreases again to minimum (10 to 40 ind.100/m

Factors influencing spatial patterns in primary productivity in Kenyan territorial waters

This study was formulated to investigate productivity systems within Kenyan territorial waters. The interaction of processes on the margins of the marine waters, particularly the influx of fresh water loaded with sediments and nutrients, influences productivity of coastal waters. These deposited sediments, rich in nutrients, create a topographic barrier to the northerly flowing East African Coastal Current (EACC). Phosphate and nitrate peaks observed around the North Kenya Bank area provide evidence of an upwelling event. The contribution of sediments from the Lamu archipelago mangrove system is evident from the high observed particulate organic carbon (POC) input around the area. The system around the Lamu archipelago did not however show high chlorophyll-a levels despite the high POC influx. This may be due to the low levels of limiting phosphate in the surrounding waters, contrary to the observation further north in the region where high chlorophyll-a levels and corresponding higher phosphate levels were apparent. Productivity was largely supported by upwelling and organic matter mineralization. High levels of chlorophyll corresponded to high pelagic fish densities in the south (around 4.5°S) and north of the study area (around 2.5°S)