Application of GIS techniques in mapping land use/land cover for natural resource management: A case study of the upper Uaso Nyiro river catchment
Abstract
As pressure on land and water resources continue to mount, the
ability to accurately assess resource conditions and trends becomes
even more essential. Hence there is need for integrated information
which lS computer amenable to facilitate effective and timely
manipulation. Geoinformatics comprises all the fields that are
related to the collection, processing, output-and the use of land
information e.g. Remote Sensing (including photogrammetry), GIS,
cartography etc. This study aimed at investigating the use of two
tools of Geoinformatics, i.e. GIS and Remote Sensing in managing
the natural resources of the Upper Uaso Ny'iro river catchment.
A user needs assessment was carried out to establish the
desirable contents of a proposed GIS database. A Landsat MSS image
was used to manually produce a land-use/land-cover map which was
later digitized and combined with other data (such as the road
network, drainage network, and major centres) in the database. GIS
analysis was then performed on the database using Arc/Info and
Are View software packages. Various GIS products, which could be
useful for various user needs, were output.
Results obtained revealed that tremendous savings in time and
money can be achieved by using these Geoinformatics tools. The
study has demonstrated that resource planners can now rapidly
produce a combination of maps and tables that can be used for
monitoring, modelling and management of natural resources in the
Upper Uaso Ny'iro rlver basin, and other, similar regions.