The effect of rainfall variability and landuse/land cover change in a small tropical river basin in Kenya

Abstract

The study to determine the impacts of land use/land cover change and rainfall variability on river discharge was undertaken in the Thika river basin in Central Kenya highlands. The study used data on rainfall, river discharges as and landuse/land cover change for the period 2000-2015 to determine hydrologic changes in the basin. Landsat images were analyzed using ENVI 4.7 to determine land cover/landuse changes in the period 2000 and 2015.