Welcome to Focus Group Workshop - Fostering Nature Aligned Engineering In Coastal Infrastructure Development. Registration is now open

Climate change’ induced cost on soil security and its implication on food security in Homa-Bay County, Kenya

23 Apr 2025, 10:15
15m
BlueBerry Villas, Eldoret

BlueBerry Villas, Eldoret

Oral presentation Climate change, food security and impact on livelihoods

Speaker

Wicklife Ojalla (Moi University)

Description

While there are studies on effect of climate change on food insecurity in Homa-Bay [1,3], studies relating to effect of climate change on soil quality and food security aren’t evident. This paper detailed influence of climate change on soil security and its implication on food security in the study area. It examined the cost of anthropogenic-based practices (ABPs) on climate change; interrogated their ripple effect on soil and food security situation. Praxeology theory was used to explore environmental consequences of ABPs. 250 respondents were sampled from 262,036 households for quantitative data and 20 Key Informants purposively identified for qualitative data. It was a cross-sectional survey study and quantitative data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0. Opinions from FGDs, KII, and Field Observation were qualitatively analyzed. Results showed monoculture (96.2%), tractor tillage (71.4%), livestocking (82.3%), stone mining (92.4%), deforestation (89.1%), and hill slope-based practices (87.9%) induced climate change. Binary Logistic Regression Analysis (BLRA) indicated deforestation (B = -0.462, S.E = 0.381 and P< 0.032), stone mining (B= -0.756, S.E = 0.364 and P = 0.038), conventional tillage (B= -0.961, S.E = 0.489 and P = 0.05), slope-based activities (B= -0.801, S.E = 0.368 and P = 0.0290) predicted food insecurity. Study concludes that ABPs result to climate change, soil insecurity and significantly cause food insecurity in Homa-Bay County. The study recommends suspension of slope-based activities on elevated areas particularly on Homa-Hills, review stone extraction and tractor cultivation policies, intensive and purposive reforestation programs.

Author

Wicklife Ojalla (Moi University)

Co-author

Presentation materials

There are no materials yet.