Abstract:
The development of transport infrastructure affects land cover resulting in negative impacts on
natural resources over time and space. As such, it is required that due consideration is undertaken
to minimize damage to natural and artificial features to a non-reparable degree. This thesis aimed
at assessing the magnitude of the environmental impacts of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR)
from the Nairobi Terminus to Nachu Station in Kiambu County. The Specific objectives
involved undertaking a detailed GIS and remote sensing (RS) baseline environmental assessment
of the developed SGR route; identifying the anticipated social and environmental impacts. The
data for this were collected with household surveys, using 100 households as the sample size,
proposing mitigation measures to be taken during and after implementation of the SGR project.
The assessment results in the thesis area revealed that built areas increased by 3.6%, while
grassland, forest, and cropland decreased by 2.5%, 2.6%, and 13%, respectively. The drivers of
this change were increased built up areas along the SGR line, urbanization, and land use change.
The results also revealed that the SGR has caused negative environmental effects encroaching
conservation areas, disrupting human settlement, and diminishing forest and vegetation cover.
The noise and air pollution produced due to the SGR construction and operation affected
wildlife, vegetation, and human settlement. Recommendations for future SGR projects include
wet-spraying of cement and wet drilling to reduce dust emissions during the construction;
frequent investigations of the construction sites, afforestation, and recommendation of humane
settlement of populations before the execution of such projects as well as suitability analysis
using GIS conducted to locate the best SGR routes
