ASSESSMENT OF CHANGES IN LAND COVER AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE STANDARD GAUGE RAILWAY FROM NAIROBI TERMINUS TO KIAMBU COUNTY IN KENYA

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