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Bernard Barasa
Department of Geography and Social Studies, Kyambogo University, Kyambogo, Kampala, Uganda

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Original article
Published: 09 November 2020 in Sustainable Water Resources Management
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In recent years, the mountainous regions are becoming more susceptible to devastating climatic shocks causing food insecurity and environmental degradation. In response, farmers with small landholding are gaining interest in deploying Residential Rainwater Harvesting Systems (RRWHS) to improve water supplies in homes, though diminutive consideration has been given to the performance evaluation of these systems in a mountainous landscape in the tropics. Our study intended to explicitly understand the determinants for the household adoption of RRWHS and evaluate their performance to improve domestic water supplies in the study area. The study took a cross-sectional design were 444 respondents were selected using a cluster sampling method, and administered with semi-structured questionnaires. The indicators used to assess system performances were: reliability, cost-effectiveness and efficiency. The results of this study showed that system/component price-subsidies, household income-status, landholding-size, availability of technical support and farmer education-level were the most significant determinants for the uptake of RRWHS (P < = 0.05). Performance-wise, the most reliable systems were corrugated metallic-tanks and concrete-ferro-cement tanks. The most cost-effective system was plastic jerrycans; while the most-efficient were concrete ferro-cement and plastic tanks. This study reveals that tax exemptions on the manufacture and importation of RRWHS components can increase their acquisition. The high-capacity storage RRWHS systems are preferred by the farmers due to improved water supplies to sustain domestic usage and farming requirements but also safeguard the environment from surface run-off and overexploitation. Plastic-storage facilities are preferred, because they did not react with water compared to metallic systems.

ACS Style

Barasa Bernard; Wanyama Joshua; Nandutu Winnie. Determinants for the adoption of residential rainwater harvesting systems on the slopes of Mt. Elgon, East-Africa. How do they perform? Sustainable Water Resources Management 2020, 6, 1 -12.

AMA Style

Barasa Bernard, Wanyama Joshua, Nandutu Winnie. Determinants for the adoption of residential rainwater harvesting systems on the slopes of Mt. Elgon, East-Africa. How do they perform? Sustainable Water Resources Management. 2020; 6 (6):1-12.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Barasa Bernard; Wanyama Joshua; Nandutu Winnie. 2020. "Determinants for the adoption of residential rainwater harvesting systems on the slopes of Mt. Elgon, East-Africa. How do they perform?" Sustainable Water Resources Management 6, no. 6: 1-12.

Research article
Published: 31 July 2020 in Geocarto International
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Uganda continues to experience high-refugee population influx that is beyond the established settlement capacities. Little information is available on the present and future impacts of settling refugees and host-communities on landuse changes and vegetation degradation. This study used Sentinel-2 images (20m) of 2016-2019 and Dinamica Ego-software to determine the current and future spatial areal-extent of changes in 2022. Findings revealed a rarefied increase in areas under subsistence-farming, builtups and refugee-settlements while the losses were seen in savannah-grasslands, wetlands and woodlands. In 2021, the most significant increases in the land will be experienced in builtup-areas, settlements and commercial farming. The most degraded vegetation types were savannah-grassland, woodlands and tree-plantations. These were primarily attributed to unending activities of deforestation, bush-burning, high-refugee population, land-conflicts with host-communities and wetland reclamation. Thus, unless sustainable farming and energy-saving practices are promoted and adopted, the landscape is likely to remain not even with remnants of green-cover.

ACS Style

Barasa Bernard; Mwiru Aron; Turyabanawe Loy; Nabalegwa W. Muhamud; Ssentongo Benard. The impact of refugee settlements on land use changes and vegetation degradation in West Nile Sub-region, Uganda. Geocarto International 2020, 1 -19.

AMA Style

Barasa Bernard, Mwiru Aron, Turyabanawe Loy, Nabalegwa W. Muhamud, Ssentongo Benard. The impact of refugee settlements on land use changes and vegetation degradation in West Nile Sub-region, Uganda. Geocarto International. 2020; ():1-19.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Barasa Bernard; Mwiru Aron; Turyabanawe Loy; Nabalegwa W. Muhamud; Ssentongo Benard. 2020. "The impact of refugee settlements on land use changes and vegetation degradation in West Nile Sub-region, Uganda." Geocarto International , no. : 1-19.

Research article
Published: 18 July 2020 in The Scientific World Journal
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Despite the achievements reported from using rainwater harvesting systems, the contribution and drawbacks that affect their usage in mountainous landscapes have received little attention. The uptake and usage of domestic rooftop rainwater harvesting systems (RRWHS) in developing countries is on the increase due to increasing water scarcities. We explored the effect of rainfall variability on water supply and the downsides of using the systems by rural households in Uganda. The objectives were to assess the variability of rainfall (1985–2018), categorise RRWHS used, and examine the influence of slope ranges on the placement of systems and also to quantify the harvested and saved rainwater and establish the factors that affected system usage. Rainfall variability was assessed using a Mann–Kendall test, while system contributions and drawbacks were examined using socioeconomic data. A representative of 444 households were selected using a multicluster sampling procedure and interviewed using semistructured questionnaires. Findings revealed that the months of March, April, September, August, and October experienced an upward trend of rainfall with a monthly coefficient of variation between 41 and 126%. With this, households responded by employing fixed (reinforced concrete tanks, corrugated iron tanks, and plastic tanks) and mobile RRWHS (saucepans, metallic drums/plastic drums, jerrycans, and clay pots). At the high altitude, households deployed mostly plastic jerrycans and industrial plastic/metallic drums to harvest and save water. Overall, the mean annual volume of rainwater harvested on the slopes of Mt. Elgon was 163,063 m3/yr, while the potential to save water ranged from 4% to 7% of the annual household water demand. The factors that hindered the deployment of RRWHS to harvest and save water were high operational costs, price fluctuations, unreliable rainfall pattern, inadequate funds, and limited accessibility. The rainfall received if well-harvested and saved can redeem households of water insecurity, though there is an urgent need of subsidies from the government to increase accessibility of the systems.

ACS Style

Barasa Bernard; Asaba Joyfred. Contribution of Rainfall on Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting and Saving on the Slopes of Mt. Elgon, East Africa. The Scientific World Journal 2020, 2020, 1 -11.

AMA Style

Barasa Bernard, Asaba Joyfred. Contribution of Rainfall on Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting and Saving on the Slopes of Mt. Elgon, East Africa. The Scientific World Journal. 2020; 2020 ():1-11.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Barasa Bernard; Asaba Joyfred. 2020. "Contribution of Rainfall on Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting and Saving on the Slopes of Mt. Elgon, East Africa." The Scientific World Journal 2020, no. : 1-11.

Articles
Published: 18 March 2020 in Annals of GIS
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In flood hazard assessment, little attention has been given to the seasonal observation of freshwater inundation using Sentinel-1 Synthetic-Aperture Radar (SAR) images in the tropics. To assess these spatial variations, this study examined the inundation magnitudes and reflectance of riparian flora in the raining seasons (February-April and September-November) and dry-periods (May-August and December-January). The inundation areas were determined using an object-oriented classification algorithm, whilst the merits concerning the lake, riparian vegetation and shoreline were well-defined using backscatter-coefficient values. Findings indicated that the SAR images are practical to monitor inundation coverages and discern lake basin specific features such as highland areas, shoreline, water and riparian-vegetation. Seasonally, inundated sizes were comparatively higher in February (902 sq.km) and October (700 sq.km). Backscatter values of inundated parts varied from −16 dB to −19 dB, whereas those of riparian vegetation were higher in the months of May and August. This study hence displays a clear-cut correlation between riparian-vegetation, hydrology and climate variables.

ACS Style

Bernard Barasa; Joshua Wanyama. Freshwater lake inundation monitoring using Sentinel-1 SAR imagery in Eastern Uganda. Annals of GIS 2020, 26, 191 -200.

AMA Style

Bernard Barasa, Joshua Wanyama. Freshwater lake inundation monitoring using Sentinel-1 SAR imagery in Eastern Uganda. Annals of GIS. 2020; 26 (2):191-200.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Bernard Barasa; Joshua Wanyama. 2020. "Freshwater lake inundation monitoring using Sentinel-1 SAR imagery in Eastern Uganda." Annals of GIS 26, no. 2: 191-200.

Journal article
Published: 20 February 2020 in Sustainability
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Over 70% of Uganda is infested by the tsetse fly, which has negative effects on human and livestock health. From colonial to post-independent Uganda, the Government of Uganda has worked to eradicate the tsetse menace. Despite these efforts, recent veterinary reports from the Karamoja sub-region have indicated widespread tsetse invasion. This study investigated the potential impact of tsetse invasion on the socioecological resilience of pastoral communities in the Karamoja sub-region. Results indicated that tsetse invasion is spreading from north to south of Karamoja. The tsetse transmission route emerging from southern Karamoja is perceived to be a continuation of the tsetse belt from West Pokot, Kenya. Cases of livestock deaths, livestock abortions, decreased milk yields, restricted access to prime grazing lands, heightened human-wildlife conflicts and disruption on crop cultivation have been reported. A computed socioecological resilience index in the study area was positive but low. Owing to the transboundary characteristics of tsetse invasions and sources and the associated documented effects, an urgent, strategic and system-wide intervention should be undertaken to control the tsetse invasion in this sub-region.

ACS Style

Anthony Egeru; Joseph Opio; Aggrey Siya; Bernard Barasa; John Paul Magaya; Justine J. Namaalwa. Tsetse Invasion as an Emerging Threat to Socioecological Resilience of Pastoral Communities in Karamoja, Uganda. Sustainability 2020, 12, 1599 .

AMA Style

Anthony Egeru, Joseph Opio, Aggrey Siya, Bernard Barasa, John Paul Magaya, Justine J. Namaalwa. Tsetse Invasion as an Emerging Threat to Socioecological Resilience of Pastoral Communities in Karamoja, Uganda. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (4):1599.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anthony Egeru; Joseph Opio; Aggrey Siya; Bernard Barasa; John Paul Magaya; Justine J. Namaalwa. 2020. "Tsetse Invasion as an Emerging Threat to Socioecological Resilience of Pastoral Communities in Karamoja, Uganda." Sustainability 12, no. 4: 1599.

Journal article
Published: 02 March 2019 in Weather and Climate Extremes
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Food insecurity is a region–wide problem in Sub-Saharan Africa, exacerbated by severe drought, with devastating impacts at the household level. However, farmers' coping strategies and their determinants remain under–documented. In this study, we: 1) characterise relationships between perceptions of drought and food insecurity and corresponding household coping responses, 2) compare livelihood characteristics of farmers that perceived food insecurity as a problem and those who did not, and 3) investigate how household-level characteristics correspond to household coping strategies. Our study is exploratory in nature: we administered a questionnaire to 140 farmers in Isingiro district in South-west (SW) Uganda whose livelihood is predominantly dependent on crop production. We employ binomial and multinomial logistic regression models to identify the determinants of the respondents’ perceptions, how household characteristics correspond to household perceptions of food insecurity, and factors that affect coping responses. Our data show that 68.6% of the respondents perceived food insecurity as a problem in their household. Access to credit for crop cultivation increased the likelihood (p < 0.05) that farmers will be more aware and concerned about household food security status. Farmers were more likely to use the credit as a buffer against food insecurity. Whilst drought is widely perceived (by 95.6%: 133) as a problem contributing to food insecurity, the coping responses are wide-ranging. However a considerable 13% (of the total) reported to be “doing nothing” to respond to the drought effects. Notably, farmers that did not perceive food insecurity as a problem have higher (p = 0.01) off-farm incomes and larger (p = 0.00) farm sizes on average compared to those that did. Significant (p < 0.05) determinants of coping strategies include a combination of size of farmland, total income from crops, number of livestock and marital status. Broadly, our study indicates that households believe they are most at–risk of drought–induced food insecurity. Access to credit and alternative means of livelihood may offer resilience building options.

ACS Style

Ronald Twongyirwe; David Mfitumukiza; Bernard Barasa; Barbara R. Naggayi; Hannington Odongo; Viola Nyakato; Grace Mutoni. Perceived effects of drought on household food security in South-western Uganda: Coping responses and determinants. Weather and Climate Extremes 2019, 24, 100201 .

AMA Style

Ronald Twongyirwe, David Mfitumukiza, Bernard Barasa, Barbara R. Naggayi, Hannington Odongo, Viola Nyakato, Grace Mutoni. Perceived effects of drought on household food security in South-western Uganda: Coping responses and determinants. Weather and Climate Extremes. 2019; 24 ():100201.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ronald Twongyirwe; David Mfitumukiza; Bernard Barasa; Barbara R. Naggayi; Hannington Odongo; Viola Nyakato; Grace Mutoni. 2019. "Perceived effects of drought on household food security in South-western Uganda: Coping responses and determinants." Weather and Climate Extremes 24, no. : 100201.

Journal article
Published: 08 November 2018 in Land
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Sustainable land use systems planning and management requires a wider understanding of the spatial extent and detailed human-ecosystem interactions astride any landscape. This study assessed the extent of historical, current, and future land use systems in Uganda. The specific objectives were to (i) characterize and assess the extent of historical and current land use systems, and (ii) project future lan use systems. The land use systems were defined and classified using spatially explicit land use/cover layers for the years 1990 and 2015, while the future prediction (for the year 2040) was determined using land use systems datasets for both years through a Markov chain model. This study reveals a total of 29 classes of land use systems that can be broadly categorized as follows: three of the land use systems are agricultural, five are under bushland, four under forest, five under grasslands, two under impediments, three under wetlands, five under woodland, one under open water and urban settlement respectively. The highest gains in the land amongst the land use systems were experienced in subsistence agricultural land and grasslands protected, while the highest losses were seen in grasslands unprotected and woodland/forest with low livestock densities. By 2040, subsistence agricultural land is likely to increase by about 1% while tropical high forest with livestock activities is expected to decrease by 0.2%, and woodland/forest unprotected by 0.07%. High demand for agricultural and settlement land are mainly responsible for land use systems patchiness. This study envisages more land degradation and disasters such as landslides, floods, droughts, and so forth to occur in the country, causing more deaths and loss of property, if the rate at which land use systems are expanding is not closely monitored and regulated in the near future.

ACS Style

Majaliwa Gilbert Jackson Mwanjalolo; Barasa Bernard; Mukwaya Isolo Paul; Wanyama Joshua; Kutegeka Sophie; Nakyeyune Cotilda; Nakileza Bob; Diisi John; Ssenyonjo Edward; Nakangu Barbara. Assessing the Extent of Historical, Current, and Future Land Use Systems in Uganda. Land 2018, 7, 132 .

AMA Style

Majaliwa Gilbert Jackson Mwanjalolo, Barasa Bernard, Mukwaya Isolo Paul, Wanyama Joshua, Kutegeka Sophie, Nakyeyune Cotilda, Nakileza Bob, Diisi John, Ssenyonjo Edward, Nakangu Barbara. Assessing the Extent of Historical, Current, and Future Land Use Systems in Uganda. Land. 2018; 7 (4):132.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Majaliwa Gilbert Jackson Mwanjalolo; Barasa Bernard; Mukwaya Isolo Paul; Wanyama Joshua; Kutegeka Sophie; Nakyeyune Cotilda; Nakileza Bob; Diisi John; Ssenyonjo Edward; Nakangu Barbara. 2018. "Assessing the Extent of Historical, Current, and Future Land Use Systems in Uganda." Land 7, no. 4: 132.