@article{BorchardtTrauth2012,
  author    = {Borchardt, Sven and Trauth, Martin H.},
  title     = {Remotely-sensed evapotranspiration estimates for an improved hydrological modeling of the early holocene mega-lake Suguta, northern Kenya Rift},
  series = {Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology : an international journal for the geo-sciences},
  volume    = {361},
  journal   = {Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology : an international journal for the geo-sciences},
  number    = {22},
  publisher = {Elsevier},
  address   = {Amsterdam},
  issn      = {0031-0182},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.palaeo.2012.07.009},
  pages     = {14 -- 20},
  year      = {2012},
  abstract  = {The actual evapotranspiration is an important, but difficult to determine, element in the water balance of lakes and their catchment areas. Reliable data on evapotranspiration are not available for most lake basins for which paleoclimate reconstructions and modeling have been performed, particularly those in remote parts of Africa. We have used thermal infrared multispectral data for 14 ASTER scenes from the TERRA satellite to estimate the actual evapotranspiration in the 12,800 km(2) catchment of the Suguta Valley, northern Kenya Rift Evidence from sediments and paleo-shorelines indicates that, during the African Humid Period (AHP, 14.8 to 5.5 kyrs BP), this valley contained a large lake, 280 m deep and covering similar to 2200 km(2), which has now virtually disappeared. Evapotranspiration estimates for the Suguta Basin were generated using the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL). Climate data required for the model were extracted from a high-resolution gridded dataset obtained from the Climatic Research Unit (East Anglia, UK). Results suggest significant spatial variations in evapotranspiration within the catchment area (ranging from 450 mm/yr in the basin to the north to 2000 mm/yr in more elevated areas) and precipitation that was similar to 20\% higher during the AHP than in recent times. These results are in agreement with other estimates of paleo-precipitation in East Africa. The extreme response of the lake system (similar to 280 m greater water depth than today, and a lake surface area of 2200 km(2)) to only moderately higher precipitation illustrates the possible sensitivity of this area to future climate change.},
  language  = {en}
}
@misc{Muriu2012,
  type      = {Master Thesis},
  author    = {Muriu, Abraham Rugo},
  title     = {Decentralization, citizen participation and local public service delivery : a study on the nature and influence of citizen participation on decentralized service delivery in Kenya},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-65085},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  year      = {2012},
  abstract  = {Governments at central and sub-national levels are increasingly pursuing participatory mechanisms in a bid to improve governance and service delivery. This has been largely in the context of decentralization reforms in which central governments transfer (share) political, administrative, fiscal and economic powers and functions to sub-national units. Despite the great international support and advocacy for participatory governance where citizen's voice plays a key role in decision making of decentralized service delivery, there is a notable dearth of empirical evidence as to the effect of such participation. This is the question this study sought to answer based on a case study of direct citizen participation in Local Authorities (LAs) in Kenya. This is as formally provided for by the Local Authority Service Delivery Action Plan (LASDAP) framework that was established to ensure citizens play a central role in planning and budgeting, implementation and monitoring of locally identified services towards improving livelihoods and reducing poverty. Influence of participation was assessed in terms of how it affected five key determinants of effective service delivery namely: efficient allocation of resources; equity in service delivery; accountability and reduction of corruption; quality of services; and, cost recovery. It finds that the participation of citizens is minimal and the resulting influence on the decentralized service delivery negligible. It concludes that despite the dismal performance of citizen participation, LASDAP has played a key role towards institutionalizing citizen participation that future structures will build on. It recommends that an effective framework of citizen participation should be one that is not directly linked to politicians; one that is founded on a legal framework and where citizens have a legal recourse opportunity; and, one that obliges LA officials both to implement what citizen's proposals which meet the set criteria as well as to account for their actions in the management of public resources.},
  language  = {en}
}