Towards Ensuring a Supply of Sufficient and Quality Water in the Lagam Escarpment and the Kerio Valley in Marakwet District, Kenya
Loice Jepkemboi KIPKIROR, Jared TOWETT

Abstract
This paper is based on a study that sought to determine the quality of surface water in use and the means of attaining sufficient water in the Lagam Escarpment and the Kerio valley, located Marakwet District, Kenya. This followed the realization that rivers have been drying up while springs have dwindled in the region leading to limited water supply and subsequent conflicts in water use, among the residents. Remote sensing was used to study both surface and ground water, though it was supplemented by various research methods such as the use of questionnaires, interviews, observation, sampling, experimentation and mensuration. Remote sensing, thus, was used to study surface water resources (their extent, depth, purity, density and types) besides identifying areas where ground water can be found-using various environmental leads, such as vegetation mapping, sedimentary rock identification and mapping of grey tone areas. An overlay of two Landsat satellite images of the area (1985 and 2000) was also done to give a picture of change in water cover over the years, according to GIS techniques. From the study findings a, it emerged that the quality of water was not uniform, just as some ground water in some parts of the area was far beyond the reach of man in terms of accessibility. Generally, deforestation and water pollution may be the leading causes of water shortage in the study area, besides water losses resulting from excessive water percolation (infiltration) into the Earth’s crust and water mismanagement. The research study is of benefit both to future researchers in the area of study and the Marakwet community, especially if the research recommendations are implemented, such as those pertaining to community involvement in the quest for water provision and sufficiency, projects for water sourcing, water catchment protection and water management procedures.

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