Symposium on Remote Sensing for Resources Development and Environmental Management / Enschede / August 1986 
445 
An integrated study of the Nairobi area - Land-cover map 
based on FCC 1:1M 
F.Grootenhuis & H.Weeda 
Nairobi, Kenya 
K.Kalambo 
Landplan, Nairobi, Kenya 
ABSTRACT: The goal of the study was to explore the suitability of readily available LANDSAT 
imagery (in photographic form) for landscape planning in a developing country. The exercise 
focussed on the complex landscape of the Nairobi region. Visual interpretation formed the 
basis for a physiographic map at 1:1 Million (1:1M) scale describing the form of the earth 
surface of the study area. Representative traverses were chosen and fieldwork was carried out 
along these cross-sections. The integration of the field recordings and the .zoning from the 
physiographic map produced a land-cover map at 1:1M scale depicting the features present on 
the earth surface. 
The results of the analysis of the land-cover pattern at the scale 1:1M are suitable for use 
as basic information for integrated planning. The results are cost effective in terms of the 
investment of time and money required, and represent a valuable input to the planning process. 
1 INTRODUCTION 
Planning for development requires knowledge 
of the ecological conditions for a sustaina 
ble use of renewable natural resources (Tolba 
1982). In landscape planning emphasis is 
given to the bio-physical components of the 
landscape and their interaction. An integra 
ted study of these factors should be the 
first step (McHarg 1969). 
This paper describes the information that 
could be drawn from LANDSAT images readily 
available at a scale 1:1M as an orientation 
for landscape planning (Duchhart 1986). 
The study has been undertaken as a follow up 
of the Extended Training Course on Remo 
Sensing and Rangeland at the Regional Remote 
Sensing Facility (RRSF) in Nairobi, Kenya 
(October 1983 to March 1984). 
Figure 1 . Location of the study area and the 
physiographic cross-sections. 
The area chosen for the study covers approxi 
mately 60 km x 60 km and includes the city 
of Nairobi. The boundaries of the study area 
extend from Limuru to Athi River and from 
the Ngong Hills to Thika, excluding the 
Gregory Rift Valley (Figure 1). 
Major topographic, climatic and vegetation 
gradients run northwest to southeast across 
the area, resulting in the complex landscape 
around and within the city of Nairobi. 
Nairobi is the capital city of Kenya and the 
fastest growing and most influential city in 
Eastern Africa. Population growth over the 
period 1984-1988 is expected to be 7,6% per 
annum,, including 2,6% as a result of rural- 
urban migration (Government of Kenya 1983) 
This implies that the population will dpuble 
in 10-12 years. The consequent demands for 
housing, services, work, water, food and 
energy are increasing rapidly. 
Located on the edge of the slopes of the 
Aberdares and the Athi-Kapithi Plains, Nairo 
bi manifests a variety of land-use conflicts. 
Some of these are inherent in the location 
at the inter-face between the pastoral socie 
ties developed on the plains and the agri 
cultural societies developed in the highlands, 
others are more complex conflicts resulting 
from the many possible uses of productive 
land in a metropolitan area. 
2 MATERIALS AND METHOD 
2.1 Materials 
The study was limited to readily available 
materials. These included the collection of 
LANDSAT false colour composite (FCC) trans 
parencies at 1:1M scale held at the RRSF and 
the LANDSAT images 180/61 of January 24th, 
1976 and 181/61 of January 25th, 1976 formed 
the basis for the study. They were chosen 
since they were almost cloud-free and of bet 
ter quality than any of the other images.