IAPRS & SIS, Vol.34, Part 7, “Resource and Environmental Monitoring”, Hyderabad, India, 2002 
  
5. CONCLUSIONS 
The papyrus swamp in Lake Naivasha is continuing to decrease. 
Under the present land use system, with expansion of agricultural 
fields, the decrease is expected to continue. Within the proposed 
50 m buffer zone of 255 ha along the existing papyrus area, 
agricultural fields cover 85.25 ha (33%), shrubland 138.5 ha 
(55%), woodland 29.25 ha (11%), and grassland 1.5 ha (1%). 
Taking into account the findings of Bemigisha (1987) in which 
the expansion of agricultural fields and shrubland form the 
highest risk to papyrus, a buffer zone of 50 m is insufficient for 
reasonable restoration. 
The proposal to re-establish papyrus has not been realized, though 
an area of 1673 ha in the northern part could be possible for re- 
establishment of the swamp. This is however subject to further 
evaluation. 
Most (80.2%) of the area below the 1906 lake level is reclaimed 
for agricultural fields and build-up area, and may have lost 
completely the physical attributes for papyrus restoration. 
In all, the remote Sensing and GIS provided crucial evidence on 
the adequacy and progress of the management options. The 
Lake Naivasha papyrus restoration problem is however 
intricately related with the climatic regimes that their influence 
should be an integral part of the evaluation. Thus a Remote 
Sensing and GIS application suffices only in as far as the 
mapping and spatial analysis can put into evidence. Attributes 
for such an evaluation should be derived through a more 
participatory and integrative approach. 
6. RECOMMENDATIONS 
Referring to the proposed management measures, the following 
suggestions for further research are recommended: 
QO A detailed site selection study for protection and re- 
establishment of papyrus. The proposed 50m buffer zone 
along the existing papyrus fringe should be reconsidered. 
Q A detailed suitability study to determine a variable width 
of the buffer zone is recommended, taking into account 
conservation and protection values, and economic 
interests. 
Q Further reclamation of flooded land should be stopped 
through legal instruments. Receding lake water levels 
encourage reclamation of riparian land. The construction 
of dikes and other flood protection measures, prevent the 
natural recovery of papyrus. At present dikes and channels 
are not considered to be ‘permanent buildings’. 
7. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 
The following are highly acknowledged: 
Q The Institute of. Geo-information Science and Earth 
Observation ( ITC) for facilitating the study. Special 
thanks are due to the supervisors of the study, Drs. J. 
Looijen and Ir. M.C Bronsveld 
Q The Netherlands fellowship program for funding. 
Q The.Kenya Wildllife Service, Lake Naivasha Riparian 
Owners Association, the Elsamere Conservation Center 
and the WRAP project of Kenya that supported my 
fieldwork. 
782 
8. REFERENCES 
Bemigisha, J., 1998. An assessment of the Spatial and 
Temporal Distribution of a Papyrus Swamp. The Application of 
Remote Sensing, GIS and a Decision Support System for the 
Monitoring and Management of the Wetlands Vegetation of 
lake Naivasha, Kenya. MSC Thesis, ITC, The Netherlands. 
de Bie, K., 1996. Collection of Field Data on Aricultural Land 
Use . Land Use Planning module RLE Lecture note, ITC. 
Fresco, L., Huizing, H. G. J., Keulen, van, H., and Luning, H.A., 
1992. Land Evaluation and Farming Systems Analysis for 
Landuse Planning. FAO Guidelines: Working Document Third 
Edition. 
Gaudet, J. J., 1977. Natural Drawdown on Lake Naivasha, Kenya, 
and the formation of Papyrus Swamps. Aquatic Botany, 3:1- 47 
Harper, D..M., Adams, C., and Mavuti, K., 1995. The aquatic 
plant communities of the lake Naivasha Wetlands, Kenya: pattern, 
dynamics and conservation. Wetlands Ecology and Management, 
(The Hague: SPB Academic Publishing). 3 (2), pp 111-123. 
Hefner, J.M., and Storrs, C., 1994. classification and Inventory 
of Wetlands in Southern Appalachian Region. Water Air, and 
Soil Pollution (Netherlands: Kluwer Academic) 77: 206 - 216 
Heinrich, W., 1971. Ecology of Tropical and Subtropical 
Vegetation. (Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd, a division of Longman 
Group Ltd), pp 144-150 
Hoefsloot, H., 1996. Mount Elgon Conservation and 
developemnt Project. Evaluation of Sustainable Development 
Activities (Period January 1992 — September 1995) Technical 
Paper no. 17. IUCN Uganda, and Ministry of Natural 
Resources. 
Kent, M., and Coker, P., 1995. Vegetation Description and 
Analysis. A practical approach. John Wily & Sons Ltd, England, 
363 pp. 
Kleiman, D. G., Reading, R.P, Miller, B.J., Clark, T., Scott, 
MJ., Robinson, J., Wallace, R.L., Cabin, R.J, and Felleman, F., 
2000. Improving the Evaluation of Conservation Programs. 
Conservation Biology 14 (2), pp 356 —365. 
Lillesand, T.M., & Kiefer, R.W., 1994. Remote Sensing and 
Image Interpretation. Third Edition. John Wily & Sons Ltd, New 
York , 750 pp. 
LNROA, 1996. Lake Naivasha Management Plan 1996 (Not 
Published) 
Metcaffe. S., and Kamugisha, J.R., 1993. Project Evaluation: 
Lake Mburo Community Conservation Project. Uganda 
National Parks, African Wildlife Foundation. 
Nankya, J., Pascal, Tumuhimbise, H., Kabagambe P., Kassaija 
O., Namara: R., Ndidde, A., and Mugisha Maude, 1999. 
Management Training for Civil Society Organisations. 
Tripartite Training Programme (DENIVA, URDT, ACFODE). 
Edited and Designed by Kagoda P. K. 
Petermann T., and Geuder-Jilg, E., (Eds), 1996. Sustainable 
Land Use in Rural Areas: Tools for Analysis and Evaluation.