Web Map Application to Support Spatial Planning, Decision-Making and Transition Toward Climate-Smart Landscapes in the Taita Hills, Kenya

Abstract

There is a growing demand for geospatial technologies and skills in Kenya due to the ongoing devolution of government to the county level, development of GIS-based National Land Management Information System, and digitalization of information and maps to databases. Furthermore, the adaptation of agricultural production to the impacts of climate change, and its transition toward climate-smart landscape approach require support from geospatial technologies to stakeholders to sustainably manage land use interactions, such as soil, water, and nutrients along with agro-forestry, livestock, husbandry, and forest and grassland utilization at landscape level. A simple and visual Multifunctional Agricultural Landscape Mosaic (MALM) Story Map and Web Application was developed to support this transition and adoption of open access geospatial technology among the universities, government organizations, and NGOs in Kenya. The thematic content of the web application was designed to support climate change adaptation action planning in the target area with a focus on water resources, conservation agriculture, agro-forestry for the smallholder farms, and insect pest management. This chapter describes the emerging challenges of advancing geospatial technologies in Kenya, presents the results of a feasibility study of MALM and discusses its potential in supporting spatial planning and decision-making in climate change adaptation in the Taita Hills, southeast Kenya.