Soil Erosion Detection At The Kenyan Coasts (2001-2013) Using Modis 250m Resolution Images

Abstract

The objective of this research study is to investigate the capabilities of time -series of MODIS imagery to provide information on soil erosion at the Kenyan coast. Soil erosion has been a major environmental threat to sustainability and productive capability of agriculture over the past few decades: The Kenyan government has been forced to increase her revenue allocation in agriculture so as to meet the demand of her ever increasing population. In fact the current trend shows the per capita food productivity is beginning to decline. In this project we describe the approach based on time-series MODIS imagery to assess the soil erosion along the Kenyan coast. Using NDVI values computed from MODIS images taken from 2001 to 2013, at an interval of 4 years. The images shall help us assess the spatial and temporal dynamics of soil and vegetation both along the Kenyan coast and within Indian Ocean. The result does not only show decrease in vegetation along the coast but also the presence of both floating and submerged vegetation in the ocean; an indication of deposit of top fertile alluvial soil due to soil erosion