Dickson Nyariki - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Dickson Nyariki

Journal of Social Sciences, Jul 1, 2003

Land-use history, not readily available for most places, remains the weakest link in nearly all s... more Land-use history, not readily available for most places, remains the weakest link in nearly all studies of historic vegetation change, in Africa as well as other places in the world. Notwithstanding, communities hold a great wealth of knowledge on the processes and events influencing change on the land they occupy. The Lambwe Valley, southwestern Kenya, has a multiethnic population of settlers from the early 1950s. These people have seen the transformation of an initially forested area with diverse challenges to their survival, to present-day scramble for the remaining high potential land. A large part of the forces driving human settlement and consequent changes in land-use and cover is attributed to the control of tsetse and trypanosomosis. The application of a socioeconomic method of mapping land-use change with the participation of the community in this study depicted trends and the underlying causes. The control of tsetse fly and therefore trypanosomosis infection was significant in driving the changes in the valley. Agricultural intensification is suggested as a means to support the resultant higher populations of people and livestock.

Journal of Social Sciences, Oct 1, 2001

Writing is a toolbocllln clo11f n:ocardland in ~ resc:vth '"'"Ill in VlllicMos (omw, !Uch :U tq)O... more Writing is a toolbocllln clo11f n:ocardland in ~ resc:vth '"'"Ill in VlllicMos (omw, !Uch :U tq)OI'U, bookf Ar\CI reteQ.n;h p~ It is OM or the tools or rcl!e:~rch thnt l.s not nt",•ays recoguised. 1llertflfCICVCITIIt't~OIIS (o r writing and publishing. and ll>a~e "'"'' Orst be klcntifled. One of these may he to l'thiC\•e ten.llf'e or promo4ioo. The aim hercoJljly be osloo11 olislas

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DXN014138 / BLDSC - British Librar... more SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DXN014138 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, Mar 1, 2005

... Acknowledgements. This work was carried out with support from the Kenya Trypanosomiasis Resea... more ... Acknowledgements. This work was carried out with support from the Kenya Trypanosomiasis Research Institute (KETRI). Dr. Mathu Ndung&#x27;u is acknowledged for facilitation in carrying out the work, which formed part of my MSc thesis. ...

Second RUFORUM Biennial Regional Conference on "Building capacity for food security in Africa", Entebbe, Uganda, 20-24 September 2010., 2010

Page 425. ~ 8~ Policy and Governance in Natural Resource Management D. Nyariki, P. Sanginga, Y. Y... more Page 425. ~ 8~ Policy and Governance in Natural Resource Management D. Nyariki, P. Sanginga, Y. Yemshaw and W. Kakuru Introduction Natural Resource Management (NRM) is a relatively new and expanding thrust in policy research on African development. ...

Journal of Social Sciences, Jul 1, 1999

ABSTRACf OiSQIUiOI\S oftbr roles oflives!Od; in INI'JY todttics are not 5iOI'I"'CCffina nev<. The... more ABSTRACf OiSQIUiOI\S oftbr roles oflives!Od; in INI'JY todttics are not 5iOI'I"'CCffina nev<. They hll\'t: bm'l done in aruhropoloaiC1II,&OC:ioloaklll and, IO~ txlmt, ec:onomle litcftn.rrc. Howe\-er, mosc oflhe~oe d.i$1Custlons art nonm.lty noc based on statistical evldmoc. In this ankle, there is an attempt to ev21uar.e udng tln..,te statistical at~al)'Sis the role oflivestock in a ho~.hold cooncmy in sub-$aharan African run.l settins. It Is abown thlt li\'<"ock keepina in 11gru~ 101'11 sysl!CITI5 is m.~lti .f:u;et&:d. lbuii:hOidt pow:s:sing live• S'lock till mQn! land and m.llse 8Jtatcfyicldsof grainduri.nJ the wet seuon. Ourin.g the dry 'ieiSOn, livesiOCk are c:ommoditlu, which ~ sold and or exdumacd for grain. Ex• ante or risk maNiaement and u.,ott (copltlg) stntegle$ ag:ainS* food SoCil~ily are also mbnotd by the pos9CSSion of livestock.

Journal of Social Sciences, May 1, 2009

Household data are frequently used in the analysis of various socioeconomic phenomena relevant to... more Household data are frequently used in the analysis of various socioeconomic phenomena relevant to agriculture (including livestock production). However, the results of household or rural studies are as good as the process involved in collecting the required information and data. If inappropriate methods to collect information are used, the analysis, results, conclusions and the accompanying recommendations would be erroneous and, therefore, of little or no value to the end-user-the policy maker and implementer. The kinds of data collected and their sources need to be in accordance with the objectives and hypotheses of the study. The first step in data collection, therefore, is to carefully consider the aspects of clarity, specificity, technical feasibility, and cost-effectiveness of the approaches adopted to address the issue or topic of interest to the researcher. The study issue will have a conceptual and theoretical basis, backed by research objectives, hypotheses, and relevant analytical procedures. Thus, the data needs will be determined by all the pertinent aspects of the research study. The data collection process would, as its main components, consist of sampling, a decision on the sampling design, determination of the sample size, selection of collection tools, and field surveys, among others. The purpose of this article is to discuss and elaborate on these components, and the methods and approaches used in

Bulletin of animal health and production in Africa, Apr 27, 2005

Studies of Tribes and Tribals, Jul 1, 2004

This paper describes the major livelihood activities of three ethnic communities who use in commo... more This paper describes the major livelihood activities of three ethnic communities who use in common the former Kenyan Eastern Statelands. It also looks at how the livelihoods and the range could be improved while maintaining the common access to resources, so as to avoid potential conflicts. It is suggested that for improvement of range management the unsettled lands should be accessed by all the communities under ranching societies without having to exclude non-members. A number of approaches should be instituted, including bush control and reseeding. Bush control can be achieved through exploitation of trees of low timber value for charcoal production to earn income for households. To increase livestock productivity, it is proposed that proper livestock and grazing management be practised, including the introduction of superior breeds, improved livestock facilities, adequate animal healthcare and rotational grazing through paddocking.

Journal of Developing Areas, 2011

Low efficiency is a problem in most developing agriculture, and is one of the reasons for food in... more Low efficiency is a problem in most developing agriculture, and is one of the reasons for food insecurity. This paper provides information on smallholder production efficiency in one of the developing Sub-Saharan Countries: Kenya. It applies Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to farmlevel seasonal panel data. The estimated indexes indicate high levels of inefficiency between farm sizes, seasons, and adopters and non-adopters of ‗modern' farming technologies. A comparison of various farming practices shows that use of modern inputs and livestock-based capital could significantly improve farmers' performance. Tobit estimations show that the major factors influencing performance are the level of education, gender, market access and off-farm capital. Thus, policies aimed at improving education, rural infrastructure as well as assuring farmers of income through improved livelihood opportunities, and therefore reduced perceived uncertainty, could improve farm-level efficiency. The findings also provide support for prioritizing issues of farm production associated with women in policymaking.

Journal of Human Ecology, Jun 1, 2009

Participatory rural appraisal techniques and a survey of 100 households were used to evaluate liv... more Participatory rural appraisal techniques and a survey of 100 households were used to evaluate livestock production, and pastoral development of the Maasai in Mara. It was observed that patterns of land-use have principally changed from nomadic pastoralism to sedentary pastoralism, agropastoralism, and, in some cases, pure cultivation. These trends have adversely affected livestock production and the productive capacity of the Mara ecosystem. Diminishing grazing area occasioned by expanding cropping patterns has negatively impacted on vegetation resources and the biodiversity of the ecosystem. It has also increased the intensity of conflict over diminishing land resources. Because the production system is largely subsistence with a strong livestock base, it is further undermined by, among other factors, animal diseases, water scarcity, land individualisation, poor marketing infrastructure, and livestock/wildlife conflicts. Based on the findings of the present study, development approaches need to emphasise integrated livestock and wildlife utilisation, land tenure reforms that embody livestock mobility as a key strategy of optimising the use of transient forage resources, disease control, and development of livestock marketing.

Pastoralism, Jul 17, 2019

The value of pastoralism practiced in Kenya is not well appreciated, even though it is said to be... more The value of pastoralism practiced in Kenya is not well appreciated, even though it is said to be enormous. The available statistics tend to underestimate this value from the point of view of its contribution to the local and national economies, due to the inadequacy of data and application of inappropriate valuation methodologies. This study analysed the contribution of pastoralism to Kenya's national economy, using the total economic value (TEV) approach and by considering the traditional and non-traditional pastoral values. Secondary data were collected on livestock population, herd composition and structure, honey, beeswax, firewood, fishing and tourism. The findings of this study show that Kenya's pastoral sector has an economic worth of US$1.

World journal of innovative research, Jun 18, 2021

Kenya's arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) are experiencing climate variability, especially rainfal... more Kenya's arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) are experiencing climate variability, especially rainfall and temperature alterations. Rainfall is recognised as one of the critical parameters influencing land-use dynamics and consequently livelihoods in the arid and semi-arid areas inhabited by pastoral and agropastoral communities. Climate variability influences the type of livestock kept, crops grown and diversity of livelihood options. To understand how climate variability and change contribute to land-use changes, questionnaire interviews, Focus Group Discussions and direct observations were used to obtain information from 98 and 100 households in Kajiado and Makueni Counties respectively. In addition, desk reviews were carried out on government reports, previous studies and publications. The data obtained were analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found out that land-use activities, land sizes, livestock numbers, type of crops grown and adaptation options vary across rainfall gradients and are some of the factors that determine if a household would diversify its farm and non-farm activities. However, there two production systems have shown some similarities in adaptation options such as migration and diversification. Therefore developments in the ASALs need to holistically adopt a systems approach to land management taking into consideration all existing land-use systems in the study area as a prerequisite for sustainability of ASAL ecosystems.

East African agricultural and forestry journal, Oct 1, 1993

An econometric method was used to determine the economic factors that influence the level of beef... more An econometric method was used to determine the economic factors that influence the level of beef production from ranches in one of the range areas in Kenya. The study also used both cross section and time-series data through pooling to increase the number of observations for more efficient parameter estimates. Commercial offtake was adopted as a measure of the level of beef output while regression equitions were fitted to the pooled data to estimate beef price, beef income and stocking rate among the economic factors influencing offtake, prices were found to have a short-run negative effect. But, the long-run price response was positive, indicating that when prices are raised, cattle owners tend to withhold animals to allow for increases in future output; this action leads to higher offtake rates in later years. Therefore, the livestock sector apparently has unusual characteristic in as much as offtake tends to be perverse to price changes. This characteristic contrasts with the supply response of most field crops whose output is expected to increase immediately in response to price increases