THE INFLUENCE OF RELIEF AND DRAINAGE ON LAND USE IN EAST AFRICA:

Abstract

This research study aimed at establishing the influence of relief and drainage on land use types and the possible ways to deal with the impacts caused by these phenomena. No attempt has been made before to study the influence of relief and drainage morphometry and its influence on land use in Nyagatare Rwanda. Drainage networks for the subbasins were derived from topographical map of Nyagatare district. Basin-type free-water table in valley bottoms in Rwempasha and the free ground water saturates the sediments down to the first impervious barrier influence a lot of soil erosion, flooding resulting into a severe destruction of crops, destruction of roads resulting into famine and high poverty levels among the people in Nyagatare Sector. This research therefore having identified the economic and human activities that affected as a major highlighted problem emphasizes that there is need to find the best alternative solution that could address the above problem. Based on the results from the data collected during my research, 22.22 percent of the respondents strongly agreed that top lands office management involvement in dealing with land users that block improvement will increase land use activities. about 20 percent of the respondents strongly agreed that top lands office management personal involvement in land use and management will increase land use activities, a significant 53.33 percent of them also agreed to this, while 11.11 percent disagreed to this statement. 37.78 percent of the respondents strongly agreed and agreed that physical civic education is essential to the lands management department and involving the whole population of land users. Some 15.56 percent disagreed to this, while another 6.66 percent strongly disagreed to this statement. This study reveals that Based on the analysis carried out, there is a significant relationship between relief and drainage on land use. Most staffs are not conversant with the concept of improving on drainage systems. There is a relationship between the top sector land Management Commitment and support and agricultural productivity. There is a very significant relationship between relief on land utilization. The researcher also discovered that good training on land use do improve the quality of productivity in agriculture in Nyagatare sector. There is significant relationship between land users continuous training and land productivity.