Spatio-Temporal Impacts of Lake Victoria Water Level Recession on the Fringing Nyando Wetland, Kenya

Nyando is the second largest and one of the most economically important wetland ecosystems fringing Lake Victoria, Kenya. Lake level fluctuations and a range of anthropogenic activities degrade its ecological integrity, reduce its area and the quality of goods and services it provides. This study investigated the impacts of spatio-temporal variations in the lake’s water levels on the wetland. Satellite images, ground truthing and semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data on land use and community perceptions respectively. Results indicate that the shoreline receded significantly (t-stat = 5.5328; p -value