Challenges in the Use and Conservation of Urban Green Spaces: a Case of Kisii Municipality, Kisii County, Kenya.

Abstract

Although, urban areas cover not more than 5 per cent of the earth’s land space, substantial amount of the natural world’s resources can be found in them. Green spaces are useful natural assets that support livable urban environment in diverse ways. Despite urban green spaces offering critical ecological services, such as improved aesthetic and environmental quality, economic and social gains, studies have shown that, urban green spaces are declining on a worrying rate and they are now occupying small proportion of the landmass of many urban areas. Consequently, resulting to deterioration of urban environment. Other studies, have identified political interference, poverty and ignorance as the most significant factors in the decline of urban green spaces. Further, others indicate that, laxity in enforcement of development control and high competition from other urban land uses were distinguished as the main factors in the reduction of the green spaces in urban areas. Even though, there were a consensus as to what factors and effects on the use and conservation of these natural resources, the inquiry aimed at investigating why, regardless of these factors and effects well known still there was a continued decline of urban green spaces. Thus, probing for specific factors and their effect on reduced green spaces and to propose possible planning strategies for sustainable urban green space development in Kisii municipality. The study employed both systematic and cluster sampling in collecting field data and information. The field data was subjected to both descriptive and quantitative techniques for analysis where observation method was key and finally presented using percentage rating scores, tabular and graphical formats. The inquiry concluded that, high levels of poverty and ignorance of the urban residents, was recorded with highest significance of urban green spaces. Similarly, laxity to enforcement of development controls, political interference, obsolete physical development plans and ineffective legal and policy framework were also noted as the other significant factors for the inquiry. To safeguard the urban green spaces and address the undesirable effects, the inquiry recommended for strengthening enforcement of development controls, strategies to curb high levels of poverty and ignorance, enhance public participation and awareness exercise and develop policies and regulations for urban green spaces conservation. Finally, the study recommended for designating and gazetting all urban green spaces areas.