The Fragility of Agricultural Landscapes and Resilience of Communities to Landslide Occurrence in the Tropical Humid Environments of Kigezi Highlands in South Western Uganda

Abstract An assessment of the socio-economic implications of landslide occurrence in the Kigezi highlands of South Western Uganda was conducted. Landslide occurrence is on the increase and threatens community livelihoods in these highlands. Detailed field investigations were undertaken with the help of local communities between June 2018 and May 2020 to identify and map recent and visible landslide scars in Rukiga uplands of Kigezi highlands. In the course of field inventories, 85 visible landslide scars were identified and mapped using handheld GPS receivers to produce a landslide distribution map for the study area. A socio-economic analysis was conducted to establish the effects of landslide damage on people’s livelihoods as well as their existing coping and adaptation mechanisms. The assessment was administered through field observations and surveying, focus group discussions, key informants and household interviews as well as the use of Local Government Environmental Reports. The study established an increase in the spatial-temporal distribution of landslides over the Kigezi highlands in the past 40 years. The landslides have resulted in a reduction in the quality of land, loss of lives, destruction of transport infrastructures, settlements, farmlands, crops and other socio-economic infrastructures. Therefore, it is important to look for reliable and sustainable measures to prevent landslide hazards. Total landscape reforestation with deep-rooted trees can possibly reduce the landslide risk. It is also important to undertake policy implementation for preparedness and mitigation plans against landslides in this region and in the country at large. Proper soil and water conservation measures could help in enhancing soil strength against landslide hazards.

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Traditional farming and plant species diversity in agricultural landscapes of south-western Uganda

Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment ◽

10.1016/s0167-8809(03)00140-3 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 99 (1-3) ◽

pp. 125-134 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Gerald Eilu ◽

Joseph Obua ◽

Joy K Tumuhairwe ◽

Charles Nkwine

Keyword(s):

Species Diversity ◽

Plant Species ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Plant Species Diversity ◽

Traditional Farming ◽

Western Uganda

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Globalisation and Agricultural Landscapes

10.1017/cbo9780511844928 ◽

2009 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Keyword(s):

Agricultural Landscapes

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To the issue of water treatment by hydrocyclone on the systems of the combined irrigation

Melioration and Water Management ◽

10.32962/0235-2524-2019-2-21-25 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 0 (2) ◽

pp. 21-25

Author(s):

Nikolay Dubenok ◽

Andrey Novikov ◽

Sergei Borodychev ◽

Maria Lamskova

Keyword(s):

Water Treatment ◽

Organic Compounds ◽

Irrigation Water ◽

Irrigation System ◽

Petroleum Products ◽

Cylindrical Part ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Treatment Unit ◽

Drain Pipe ◽

Irrigation Network

At the stage of water treatment for irrigation systems, the efficiency capture coarse and fine mechanical impurities, as well as oil products and organic compounds affects the reliability of the equipment of the irrigation network and the safety of energy exchange processes in irrigated agricultural landscapes. The violation of work irrigation system can cause disruptions in irrigation schedules of agricultural crops, crop shortages, degradation phenomena on the soil and ecological tension. For the combined irrigation system, a water treatment unit has been developed, representing a hydrocyclone apparatus with a pipe filter in the case. For the capacity of 250 m3/h the main geometrical dimensions of hydrocyclone have been calculated. To organize the capture petroleum products and organic compounds, it has been proposed a modernization of a hydrocyclone unit, consisting in dividing the cylindrical part of the apparatus into two section. The first is section is for input irrigation water, the second one is for additional drainage of clarified irrigation water after sorption purification by the filter, placed on the disk and installed coaxially with the drain pipe and the pipe filter.

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