EFFECTS OF LAND USE/ LAND COVER ON THE WATER

QUALITY OF RIVER MALABA, TORORO DISTRICT

MBABAZI SARAH
Reg. No.
19/U/GMSM/18968/PD
Students No.1900818968
INTRODUCTION
I. Background
II. Definitions
III. History
IV. Other related studies
V. Conclusion
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Water quality preservation is a difficult task due to the presence
of point and non-point sources (NPS) of pollution. NPS pollution
involves a natural process that can never be totally eliminated and
may change daily or annually.
Human activities leading to changes in Land Cover have a
significant influence on the acceleration or deceleration of water
pollution rate.
Changes in land use i.e. urbanization, industrialization, and
agricultural processes will continue to have negative impacts on
water quality at all scales. This impact of land use changes on
water quality is generally studied by analyzing the relationships
between land use and water quality indicators (Camara et al.,
2019) hence the study below specifically on River Malaba in
Tororo District Uganda.
OBJECTIVES AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS
General Objective
The objective of the study is broadly to examine land use/ land cover dynamics and
their impact on the river water quality in Tororo district focusing River Malaba.
Specific Objective
To analyze the changes of land use/ land cover along River Malaba between
1986,2003 & 2020
To predict the changes in land use/land cover in the next 30years
To examine the effects of land use/ land cover on the water quality.
Research Questions
What are the changes in Land Use/Land Cover along River Malaba between 1986,
2003 & 2020?
What will be the changes in land use/ land cover in the next 30 years?
What are the effects of Land Use/Land Cover on the River Water Quality?
JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY
As a contribution, understanding land use/ land cover changes and
their link to water quality parameters along River Malaba will help in
competent environmental management, including effective water
management practice.
CASE STUDY AREA
This study will be carried out in three sub counties namely Mella,
Malaba town council and Osukuru in Tororo District. Tororo District
borders with the Republic of Kenya to the East, Bugiri District to the
West, Butaleja to the North and Busia to the South and Manafwa and
Mbale to the North East(Profi, 2016).
A MAP SHOWING THE STUDY AREA
RESEARCH APPROACH
 METHODOLOGY
Data and Sources
Objective 1 & Objective 2 Objective 3

Data Sources Data Sources

1. Tororo Administrative UBOS Water samples at Field

boundary different LULC along
Temporal resolution, 2019 River Malaba
Temporal Resolution,
January 2021-June 2021

2. Landsat Imagery https://glovis.u

Temporal resolution, sgs.gov/
1986,2003,2020
Spatial resolution, 30m
 CONT…
Data Analysis
Objective 1
Method Supervised & Unsupervised Classification
Software ArcGis 10.7
Temporal resolution 1986,2003,2020

Objective 2
Method The Clark Lab’s land change modeler
(LCM)
Software TerrSet 18.21 version
Temporal resolution 2050
 CONT…

Objective 3
Water Quality Parameters Alkalinity, Hardness, Total Iron, Color, pH,
Turbidity and Total Phosphates
Temporal resolution January 2021- June 2021
EXPECTED OUTPUT
Land Use/ land Cover changes statistics between 1986, 2003, 2020
in the sub counties of Mella, Malaba town council, and Osukuru in
Tororo District
Predicted land use/cover (LULC) distribution map and statistics of
change by 2050
Results of relationship between different land use/covers on the water
quality influence in the case study area.