Role of Environmental Governance Policies on Sustainability of Agricultural Provisioning Ecosystem Services in North Nyakach, Kenya
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47941/je.3376Keywords:
Sustainability, Environmental Governance Policies, Agricultural Food Provisioning Ecosystem Services, Livelihood IndicatorsAbstract
Purpose: The purpose of the study was to assess the role of environmental governance policies on sustainability of agricultural provisioning ecosystem services in North Nyakach, Kenya.
Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population for the study was 7553 smallholder farmers for collecting data using questionnaires. The sample size was 63 selected using random sampling techniques for questionnaire sample. Primary data was collected using both questionnaires. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviations. The correlation analysis was also used to establish the relationship between the variables.
Findings: The study established there is a positive and significant relationship between environmental governance policies and sustainability of agricultural provisioning ecosystem services (r=0.748; p=0.00<0.01). The study concluded that environmental governance policies play a significant role in sustaining agricultural provisioning ecosystem services in North Nyakach, Kenya. The study recommends that there is need for government in collaboration county government of Kisumu should come with strategies for strengthening enforcement of environmental governance policies among the farmers
Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: The study uniquely contributes to theory by clarifying how environmental governance mechanisms directly shape the sustainability of agricultural provisioning ecosystem services in North Nyakach. It informs policy as it highlights the need for stronger, community-aligned regulatory frameworks and guides practice through demonstration of actionable governance strategies that can enhance resource management and long-term agricultural productivity in North Nyakach.
Downloads
References
Adesiyan, A. T., & Kehinde, A. D. (2024). Is there a LINKAGE between credit access, land use, and crop diversification in achieving food security? Evidence from cocoa-producing households in Nigeria. Heliyon, 10(16), 1-17.
Adhikari, S., & Baral, H. (2018). Governing forest ecosystem services for sustainable environmental governance: A review. Environments, 5(5), 53.
Awewomom, J., Dzeble, F., Afua, P. E. & Akoto, O. (2024). Addressing global environmental pollution using environmental control techniques: a focus on environmental policy. Discover Environment, 2(1), 8.
Bachev, H. (2021). Study on Governance Mechanisms and Modes of Ecosystem Services in Bulgarian Farms. Journal of Advanced Research in Management (JARM), 12(24), 54-76.
Barrett, C. B. (2021). Overcoming global food security challenges through science and solidarity. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 103(2), 422-447.
Bethwell, C., Sattler, C. & Stachow, U. (2022). An analytical framework to link governance, agricultural production practices, and the provision of ecosystem services in Germany. Ecosystem services, 53(1), 1-21.
Beyene, A. D., & Shumetie, A. (2023). Green legacy initiative for sustainable economic development in Ethiopia. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Ethiopian Economic Association (EEA).
Briassoulis, H. (2019). Combating land degradation and desertification: The land-use planning quandary. Land, 8(2), 27.
Brock, R. C., Arnell, A., Mosnier, A., Ramos, F., & Kapos, V. (2021). Implementing Brazil’s Forest Code: a vital contribution to securing forests and conserving biodiversity. Biodiversity and Conservation, 30(6), 1621-1635.
Cardoso, A. S., & Domingos, T. (2023). Integrating food provisioning ecosystem services and foodshed relocalisation targets with edible green infrastructure planning in Lisbon city region. Sustainable Cities and Society, 96, 104643.
Chandra, N. (2023). Agricultural Development and Environmental Sustainability. Planta, 7, 1374-1386.
Costanza, R. & Liu, S. (2014). Ecosystem Services and Environmental Governance: Comparing China and the U.S. Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies, 1(1), 160–170
Ekka, P., Patra, S., & Saikia, P. (2023). Land degradation and its impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Land and environmental management through forestry, 77-101.
Evans, J., & Thomas, C. (2023). Environmental governance. Routledge.
Fezzi, C., Crowe, A., Abson, D., Bateman, I., Askew, T., Munday, P., ... & Haines-Young, R. (2011). Evaluating provisioning ecosystem service values: a scenario analysis for the United Kingdom. Report to the Economics Team of the UK National Ecosystem Assessment. Availabel at: http://uknea. unep-wcmc. org/LinkClick. aspx.
Giller, K. E. (2020). The food security conundrum of sub-Saharan Africa. Global Food Security, 26, 100431.
Isomova, F. (2024). Principles of nature protection: Guidelines for effective environmental conservation. In E3S Web of Conferences. EDP Sciences.
Khatri, P., Kumar, P., Shakya, K. S., Kirlas, M. C., & Tiwari, K. K. (2024). Understanding the intertwined nature of rising multiple risks in modern agriculture and food system. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 26(9), 24107-24150.
Li, P., Omani, N., Chaubey, I., & Wei, X. (2017). Evaluation of drought implications on ecosystem services: Freshwater provisioning and food provisioning in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(5), 496.
Maithya, J. K., Ming’ate, F. L., & Letema, S. C. (2022). The impact of wetland utilisation on provisioning ecosystem services in Nyando Wetland, Kenya. Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management, 24(01), 2250023.
McCulley, L., Roh, R., & Gunaratna, N. S. (2020). Maize agro-food systems to ensure food and nutrition security in reference to the Sustainable Development Goals. Global Food Security, 25, 100327.
Mehta, L., Leach, M., & Scoones, I. (2025). Environmental governance in an uncertain world. IDS bulletin, 56(1A).
Muigua, K. (2023). Enhancing Environmental Governance through Law: The Efficacy of Environmental Management and Coordination Act (EMCA). Act Press.
Mutea, E., Rist, S., & Jacobi, J. (2020). Applying the theory of access to food security among smallholder family farmers around North-West Mount Kenya. Sustainability, 12(5), 1751.
Nandi, R., Krupnik, T. J., & Kabir, W. (2024). Crop diversification in Bangladesh: Public policy provisions, practices, and insights for future initiatives. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 18, 101486.
Nega, A. (2025). Climate change impacts on agriculture: A review of plant diseases and insect pests in Ethiopia and East Africa, with adaptation and mitigation strategies. Advances in Agriculture, 2025(1), 5606701.
Ogunkan, D. V. (2022). Achieving sustainable environmental governance in Nigeria: A review for policy consideration. Urban Governance, 2(1), 212-220.
Orubebe, B. B. (2020). Soil governance and sustainable land use system in Nigeria: The paradox of inequalities, natural resource conflict and ecological diversity in a federal system. Legal Instruments for Sustainable Soil Management in Africa, 157-180.
Pollino, C. A., Hart, B. T., Nolan, M., Byron, N., & Marsh, R. (2021). Rural and regional communities of the Murray–Darling basin. In Murray-Darling Basin, Australia (pp. 21-46). Elsevier.
Propper, C. R., Sedlock, J. L., Smedley, R. E., Frith, O., Shuman-Goodier, M. E., Grajal-Puche, A., ... & Singleton, G. R. (2024). Balancing food security, vertebrate biodiversity, and healthy rice agroecosystems in Southeast Asia. Crop and environment, 3(1), 43-50.
Radeny, E. O. (2019). Challenges and prospects of civil society organizations in the enhancement of sustainable livelihoods and environmental conservation in Homa Bay County, Kenya (Master’s Thesis, Kenyatta University).
Rehman, A., Farooq, M., Lee, D. J., & Siddique, K. H. (2022). Sustainable agricultural practices for food security and ecosystem services. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29(56), 84076-84095.
Shi, D., Shi, Y., Wu, Q., & Fang, R. (2020). Multidimensional assessment of food provisioning ecosystem services using remote sensing and agricultural statistics. Remote Sensing, 12(23), 39-55.
Yang, Z., & Solangi, Y. A. (2024). Analysing the relationship between natural resource management, environmental protection, and agricultural economics for sustainable development in China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 450, 141-862.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Victor Omino

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.