Impacts of Urban Expansion on Land Use and Land Cover Change and Water Quality in the Dundori Forest Ecosystem in Bahati Sub-County, Nakuru County

Rapid, largely unplanned urbanisation of Dundori Market Centre has exerted increasing pressure on the Dundori Forest Ecosystem, a critical water catchment within the Mau Forest Complex, resulting in forest encroachment, deforestation, riparian degradation, and declining water quality in rivers draining into downstream Ramsar-listed wetlands such as Lake Elementaita. Localised empirical evidence linking urban growth to forest and freshwater ecosystem degradation had remained limited, constraining sustainable planning in Bahati Sub-county, Nakuru County. This research assessed land use and land cover (LULC) changes in the Dundori Forest Ecosystem between 1985 and 2025, evaluated the effects of urbanisation on the water quality of River Maimahiu, and identified existing mitigation strategies.

Department of Environment, Kenya Forest Service, Agriculture Department, and Dundori Health Centre.

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