Perceived Effects of Land Fragmentation on Grass Seed Banks Adaptation Intervention among Women in Kuku Ward, Kajiado County, Kenya

Land fragmentation poses a growing challenge to sustainable land management and ecological restoration in arid and semi-arid regions. In the Chylu landscape land fragmentation has increasingly threatened the viability of land-based adaptation intervention such as grass seed banks. Despite their ecological significance, limited research has examined how social and land-use drivers influence land fragmentation and the subsequent implications for seed bank interventions, especially from a gendered perspective. This study aimed to assess the effects of land fragmentation on the feasibility and sustainability of grass seed bank interventions among women in the Kuku landscape, by looking into the key drivers of land fragmentations, and challenges faced by women in adopting grass seed bank interventions. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 101 women through structured surveys and 11 key informant interviews. A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to determine the influence of selected variables such as inheritance, fragmentation of group ranches, conversion of grasslands to farmlands, land sales, infrastructure development, and other socio-economic drivers on land fragmentation and grass seed bank intervention. Trends in population growth and per capita land availability from 1987 to 2023 were also analyzed using interpolated time series and regression modeling. The regression results revealed that inheritance (\(\beta\)=0.714, p<0.001) and conversion of grasslands to farmlands (\(\beta\)=0.699, p=0.001) were statistically significant contributors to land fragmentation. Although factors like land sales and fragmentation of group ranches had positive coefficients, they were not statistically significant. Findings showed that land per person decreased from 52.8 ha in 1987 to 3.5 ha in 2023, driven by a rising population in the study areas. These trends significantly constrained land availability for pasture restoration, hay preparation, and grass seed banking, with women expressing strong agreement on these impacts (mean scores>3.8). The study highlights the need for community-based seed banks, land-use zoning, and policy interventions that integrate gender-sensitive approaches and indigenous knowledge to ensure the long-term viability of seed bank projects in fragmented landscapes. In conclusion, from the findings land fragmentation is a major impediment to ecosystem restoration strategies such as grass seed banks. Targeted land-use planning, secure land tenure, and inclusive adaptation policies are essential to enhancing ecological resilience and livelihoods, particularly for women in dryland regions like Kuku.