Socioeconomic and Environmental Benefits and Barriers to Community Adoption of Regreening Practices around Lake Ol'Bolossat, Kenya

Land degradation, climate variability, declining ecosystem services, and livelihood vulnerability have increased the importance of community-based regreening initiatives in African landscapes. This study assessed regreening practices, perceived socioeconomic and environmental benefits, and barriers to adoption among communities surrounding Lake Ol'Bolossat, Kenya. A mixed-methods cross-sectional design was employed, involving 297 household respondents selected through proportional stratified sampling followed by systematic random sampling. Data were collected using structured household questionnaires, key-informant interviews, focus group discussions, field observations, and secondary information. Quantitative findings were based primarily on verified descriptive results, while qualitative information was analysed thematically. Overall, 190 respondents (64.0%) were classified as adopters of regreening practices, compared with 107 (36.0%) non-adopters. Rainwater harvesting was the most widely reported practice, involving 244 respondents (82.2%), followed by boundary planting at 187 (62.9%) and soil conservation at 117 (39.4%). Agroforestry was reported by 103 respondents (34.7%), while fruit production, mulching, and contour farming were reported by 25.3%, 13.1%, and 4.4%, respectively; no respondent reported using zai pits. Adoption patterns varied descriptively across socioeconomic categories. For example, adoption ranged from 37.5% among respondents with no formal education to 71.8% among university-educated respondents, while farmers reported an adoption level of 68.3%. Regarding environmental conditions, 176 respondents (59.3%) reported an increase in tree cover, 168 (56.6%) reported an increase in cultivated land, and 104 (35.0%) reported declining soil fertility. These reports indicated that perceived changes in tree cover and continued agricultural expansion may have occurred simultaneously within the landscape. Reported barriers included water scarcity, limited financial resources, inadequate access to quality seedlings, insufficient technical support, land constraints, climate variability, and delayed economic returns. The findings indicated that community-based regreening around Lake Ol'Bolossat had the potential to contribute to ecosystem restoration and rural livelihoods, but sustained adoption required improved water management, extension support, access to suitable restoration inputs, livelihood-oriented incentives, and participatory planning. Quantitative analysis was restricted to verified descriptive results; unverified inferential statistics were not reported as completed findings.