Meru South District - UNDP-UNEP Poverty-Environment Initiative

2) Mobilization of the community through school management committee in
endeavor to improve existing infrastructures.
3) Capacity building of all stakeholders to ensure maximum utilization of
available resources.
4) Introduction of environmental education for sustainable development from
primary schools to tertiary level.
CHAPTER 4: SOILS AND LAND USE
4.1 Soils
The District can geologically be separated into the volcanic western part and basement
system on the eastern part. The volcanic part has ridges on the middle and lower slopes of
Mt. Kenya with uplands and scattered plateaus. The basement system show several
different landforms such as hills, uplands, plateaus and valleys. The soils of the ridges are
derived from volcanic parent material and are very deep red clay (nitisols and andosols).
The soils of the volcanic plateau are moderately deep to shallow with various textures.
The soils derived from the basement system rocks are predominantly moderately deep to
shallow with loam to clay textures (cambisols lavisols and regosols). The soils of the hills
are very shallow and rocky (leptosols). The exact natural vegetation reflects soil, altitude,
relief and climate
Table 17: Extent and Distribution of soil Erosion
Extent Extent (Ha) Percentage of
the total
- wide spread in
areas where
there are
economic
activities
Various spots
spread in all
divisions in the
district
district area
31
Geographic
area of
occurrence
25% - Along river
banks
- along feeder
roads
- on very steep
slopes in farms
and rangelands
Proposed interventions
- Terracing
- farmers harvesting runoff
-Cut-off drains and
artificial waterways
- Gullies controlled by
simple check dams
- pegging along river
banks
-infiltration ditches
-contour ridges
-Forestation