Conferences/Presentations

  1. Conferences/Presentations
    • Wisdom Kipkemboi, Bartholomew T. Kuria, and David N. Kuria (2023). A Framework for Implementing Participatory GIS for Environmental Conservation of the Muringato Catchment. The 7th DeKUT international conference on science, technology, innovation & entrepreneurship, 8th – 10th November 2023, Nyeri, Kenya.
    • Simon Wachira Mutheea, Bartholomew Thiong’o Kuriaa, Arthur W. Sichangib and Duncan Maina Kimwatu (2023). Developing a Novel Soil Moisture Content Index under the Effects of Droughts Using Deep Learning Techniques. The 7th DeKUT international conference on science, technology, innovation & entrepreneurship, 8th – 10th November 2023, Nyeri, Kenya.
    • Martin W. Chege, Kuria B. Thiong’o, Arthur W. Sichangi, Moses M. Ngigi, Simon W. Muthee, Wisdom Kipkemboi, Johana A. Wanjala (2023). Spatial Monitoring of River Discharge Using Low-Cost Sensors. The 7th DeKUT international conference on science, technology, innovation & entrepreneurship, 8th – 10th November 2023, Nyeri, Kenya.
    • Stefanie Steinbach, Anna Bartels, Martin W. Chege, NeilsDedring, Wisdom Kiokemboi, Simon W. Muthee, Andrew Nelson, Kuria B. Thiong’o, Sander J. Zwart, Andreas Rienow (2023). Integrating Low-cost Sensors and Remote Sensing to Monitor Small Reservoirs in Kenyan Wetlands. 42nd EARSeL Symposium, 3rd – 6th July 2023, Bucharest, Romania.
    • Goebel, Marcus Frederik, Thiong’o Kuria, Rienow, Andreas (2022). Classification Features and Object-based Mapping for Heterogenous Tropical Highlands­­­ Using a Synergetic Multi-Sensor Approach Based on Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, and GEDI Data – A Case Study of the Muringato Sub-catchment, Kenya. 41stEARSeL Symposium, 12th – 16th September 2022, Paphos, Cyprus.
    • Wisdom Kipkemboi, Bartholomew T. Kuria, David N. Kuria (2022). Assessing The Effectiveness of Participatory GIS Tool for Environmental Conservation of the Muringato Catchment Area. 41st EARSeL Symposium, 12th – 16th September 2022, Paphos, Cyprus.
    • Simon Wachira Muthee, Bartholomew Thiong’o Kuria, Charles Ndegwa Mundia (2022). Characterising the Changes in Land Use and Land Cover amid Changing Climatic Conditions using Remote Sensing Techniques in the Muringato Basin, Kenya. 41st EARSeL Symposium, 12th – 16th September 2022, Paphos, Cyprus.
    • Wisdom Kipkemboi, Bartholomew T. Kuria, David N. Kuria (2022). Assessing Participatory GIS Tool for Environmental Conservation of the Muringato Catchment Area. The Living Planet Symposium, 23rd – 27th May 2022, Bonn, Germany.
  2. Workshops
    1. World Childrens Day
      This year’s World Children’s Day marked a momentous occasion at the Dedan Kimathi University of Technology. Centered around the theme: “Inclusion of every child in environmental conservation,” the institution, under its prestigious research unit- The Remote Sensing Research Group (RSRG) led by Dr. Kuria, and comprising a 4-member team of GIS and Remote Sensing experts marked this special day by organizing two learner oriented activities. The first activity was the launch of the learning book: “Let’s save our environment,” before proceeding to undertake a tree planting activity.
      The activities for the day formed part of the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) funded project ‘Participatory Approach to Environmental Conservation of the Muringato Catchment Area for Sustainable Management and Ecosystem Health’ objectives’ that seek to enhance learners’ involvement in environmental conservation. The research project is being undertaken in collaboration with the Ruhr University Bochum (RUB). The event was graced by the DVC A&F- Prof. Esther Magiri, oversighted by the Director IGGReS- Dr. Arthur Sichangi and honored by various stakeholders who included the teachers and learners from selected primary schools, the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the Muringato Water Resources Users Association (M-WRUA), the Kenya Forest Club (KFC) and the University’s Environmental and Wildlife Club.
    2. January Stakeholders Workshop
      Description: A learners’ workshop session was organized to showcase some of the outputs from the CITGI4Muringato project whose aim was to fasten participatory environmental conservation. The workshop was held on the 11 th of January 2023 at Dedan Kimathi university of technology (DKUT) with the DVC – academic affairs and IGGReS present to open the workshop sessions. A total of 5 schools were invited to bring along 5 learners each and also staff members of DKUT allowed to bring their learners. The target group of the learners was grade 4 and 5 as the content prepared was for them. Apart from RUB and DKUT presentations, Kenya Space Agency (KSA) and Ms. Catherine Njore were also invited to make their presentations in collaborative efforts of passing down critical knowledge to the learners on environmental conservation.
      A teachers’ workshop was organized on the 12 th of January 2023 and teachers from the same school as the learners were invited but specifically on those who teach subjects related to the environment. The session was planned to be held for half a day with tea break in between and lunch break once the session was done. DKUT, RUB and KSA made their presentations to show the teachers what was taught to the learners and also empower them to adopt latest technologies when teaching the learners.
    3. Water Abstraction Survey
      (https://www.dkut.ac.ke/downloads/13th-DeKUT-Graduation-Magazine-December-2022.pdf pg. 25 )
      Article 43 of the Constitution and Kenya Water Act (2016), in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, provides the fundamental rights of each Kenyan to access adequate clean and safe water without wastage. Access is regulated by the Water Resource Authority (WRA) and supported by the Water Resource User Association (WRUA) at a catchment level. Access to clean water in Kenya is solely outsourced from rainfall with the substitution of abstraction from rivers and groundwater during the dry months. In recent times, however, due to unpredictable weather conditions subject to impending climate change, many people have resolved to unsustainable abstraction to sustain their livelihoods, especially in the upper catchment areas. In the quest to monitor, manage and preserve water resources, DeKUT Enterprises Company (DeKUTES), under the contraction of the Muringato WRUA in the Upper Tana WRA Sub Basin Area, conducted an abstraction survey. The survey aimed to establish the level of compliance of the water users within the sub-catchment under section 36 of the Water Act (2016) required to obtain water permits. An inventory was created for Muringato WRUA to ensure constant monitoring of the abstractors and compliance with the Act.
    4. Crowd Mapping tools training and evaluation
      (https://www.dkut.ac.ke/downloads/13th-DeKUT-Graduation-Magazine-December-2022.pdf pg. 23-24 )
      The current trend in environmental conservation is geared towards local community engagement in managing natural resources, different from the earlier law enforcement based approaches. This new trend engages the local community in policy planning and decision making processes influencing their lives. With the involvement of local communities, not only are the stakeholders able to harness the local communities’ vast knowledge of the surrounding ecosystem, but they are also able to sensitize the local communities on their contributions towards the endangerment and degradation of the environment and ecosystem as well. The advancement in community engagement has been partly attributed to the spread and penetration of location-enabled mobile devices. Through various mobile application tools, the local community members can use their mobile phone devices to collect and map information from the ground. The CITGI4Muringato project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) – 01DG20022 and titled “Participatory Approach to Environmental Conservation of the Muringato Catchment Area for Sustainable Management and Enhanced Ecosystem Health”, sort to explore how mobile application tools can be used to address the challenges been faced by the members of the Muringato Water Resources Users Association (WRUA). The Muringato catchment is in Nyeri county and forms part of the larger upper Tana basin. Various stakeholders’ meetings were held with the WRUA members to identify the challenges they face regarding their environment.