Fig 1: Black Rhino and her calf, Ol Pejeta

 

 

After spending 10-11 days in beautiful Kenya, it is time for another blog post about noise pollution. Not surprisingly, I would like to talk about noise pollution in Kenya itself. As mentioned previously, noise pollution has been known to affect people and animals (or wildlife) in terms of the stress levels caused and behaviour. To understand how much noise can affect people and wildlife, noise pollution mapping can be one of the ways to comprehend its effects.

A study done by  Wawa & Mulaku (2015) created a noise level map based in urban Nairobi, the Capital of Kenya. Through the study, it was found that noise intensity increases from the west to the east of Nairobi, where such noise is produced by traffic and industrial activities. Noise levels range from 61db in the west to a certain high of 78db in certain hotspots at eastern Nairobi. Despite being the first noise map of Kenya, the move would be of great help in facilitating noise level control, especially following Regulation 3(2) of the EMCA (Environmental Management and Coordination Act).

However, more needs to be done concerning managing noise levels in wildlife and natural areas. From my trip to Kenya, tourism and its relevant activities can also cause noise pollution in the form of traffic via game drives and even camping. The novel use of noise maps in natural areas like national parks and conservancies can allow better management of noise to protect the precious wildlife Kenya has to offer. Hence, more research is needed to understand noise levels in Kenya’s wild areas to ensure a more comprehensive understanding of noise on people and wildlife.

 

 

 

Reference

Wawa, E. A., & Mulaku, G. C. (2015). Noise Pollution Mapping Using GIS in Nairobi, Kenya. Journal of Geographic Information System, 07(05), 486–493. https://doi.org/10.4236/jgis.2015.75039