Spatial Variability of Droughts: a Study of the Lake Victoria Basin of Kenya

Drought is a natural phenomenon that is disastrous to human survival in regard to food security. In this book, the author outlines the methods that can be used in developing and analyzing the spatial extent of drought. He employs GIS software in developing severity maps that depict the areas mostly affected by drought. In particular, the book focuses on Meteorological drought on the basis of Palmer's method and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in the context of Lake Victoria Basin of Kenya. Through quantitative and qualitative data analysis, this study reveals that most parts of the shores of Lake Victoria are moderately dry throughout the year and are thus vulnerable to drought and therefore mitigation measures on food security should always be put in place. It is recommended that irrigation infrastructure and agricultural extension services should be utilized, enhanced and supported by the Kenya Government in drought vulnerable areas. This book is a must-read for post-graduate students, researchers, Policy makers and scholars in Environmental Studies, Agriculture and Geographical Information Systems.