Wednesday, November 15, 2006 - 12:55 PM
221-8

Soil Degradation and Human Health in the Lake Victoria Region of Kenya.

Mary Nyasimi, Lee Burras, and Butler Lorna. Iowa State Univ, 111 Curtiss Hall, Ames, IA 50011

Soil degradation and human health are integrally linked in rural western Kenya where perhaps as many as 80% of all homes would be classified as poor or extremely poor.  This study used case studies and site analysis in order to quantify the linkages between health, poverty and soil degradation across a range of farmsteads from two communities in the River Awach watershed of Lake Victoria.  Both communities are thought to have a significant HIV-AIDS population. Preliminary results indicate that a combination of gullying, nutrient depletion and other degrative processes are leading contributing causes of depressed food production, which in turn is exacerbating poor health and diminished effective land management.

Back to Symposium--Soils and Human Health
Back to Z05 Soils and Human Health

Back to The ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings (November 12-16, 2006)