Doctor of Philosophy in Dryland Resources Management

There is need to provide human resource capacity development in the broad disciplinary domain of drylands science and management to address emerging challenges in resource management such as desertification, global climate change, spiralling human and livestock numbers and run away poverty. The Ph.D. programme in Dryland Science and Management is designed to produce graduates with sound knowledge and skills for sustainable utilisation of drylands resources.

The programme is intended to meet the demand for highly trained manpower in areas of specialisation such as drylands resource ecology and management, integrateddrylands resource management, and drylands resource mapping and survey techniques. While the focus of the programme is primarily on drylands ecosystems, students will receive a broad background in various related subjectsdryland ecology, land uses ecology, systems ecology, drylands livestock nutrition, shrubland ecology, Philosophy and cosmology of drylands management among others. Students will study specific areas related to science such as vegetation management, animal behaviour, rehabilitation and restoration and recreational resource management.

Various courses in the programme are designed to develop the academic skills of individuals and to enhance their knowledge in the professional fields related to ecosystem science and management. Departmental seminars supplement the individual education of graduate students and serve to relate the most recent research findings applicable to the discipline. The department welcomes applications from students with diverse educational backgrounds, experiences and interests. Individually planned graduate programmes assure a focused, individualized education for each candidate.

Over 80% of Kenya land cover is classified as drylands and holds approximately 25% of human population. Similarly, this vast area is inhabited by the country‘s wildlife and a large proportion of livestock. All the above represent a large economic resource that is largely underutilised. Sustained productivity in these ecosystems is important for economic and social development of the country. Kenya currently is short of trained human resource to spearhead the development and effective utilization of these lands in order to contribute significantly to the national economy. The programme is intended to produce specialists in integrated dryland management. This programme will provide trained human resource capacity required in teaching, research, extension, and conservation and consultancy services.