Kipkemoi et al. (2026) Soil moisture research in Kenya based on a systematic review of monitoring modelling and hydrological applications

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Identification

• Journal: Discover Soil.
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-14
• Authors: Isaac Kipkemoi, Brian Rotich, Harison Kipkulei
• DOI: 10.1007/s44378-026-00304-y

Research Groups

Not specified

Short Summary

This systematic review evaluates the state of soil moisture science in Kenya, finding a predominance of remote sensing and agricultural applications while highlighting a critical lack of research in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs).

Objective

• To assess how soil moisture is observed, modeled, and applied across Kenya's diverse hydro-climatic regions and to identify existing research gaps.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: National scale (Kenya)
• Temporal Scale: 2000–2026

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Systematic review following PRISMA guidelines.
• Data sources: Peer-reviewed literature screened from Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar (63 studies selected from 847 records).

Main Results

• Research Trends: Significant increase in research activity since 2015.
• Methodological Distribution: Remote sensing is the dominant approach (54%), followed by in-situ measurements (29%) and modeling (17%).
• Spatial Distribution: Research is heavily concentrated in the central highlands and Mount Kenya region (41%), with a significant underrepresentation of ASAL regions (18%).
• Thematic Focus: Agricultural applications are the primary focus (52%), followed by drought monitoring (21%), ecosystem dynamics (15%), and urban hydrological processes (4%).
• Identified Gaps: Limited ground-truth networks, weak integration of data into operational early warning systems, and minimal research on subsurface and vadose-zone dynamics.

Contributions

• Provides the first national-scale synthesis of soil moisture science in Kenya.
• Establishes a strategic research agenda focusing on the expansion of in-situ networks, development of country-specific products, and improved coupling with climate services for water-limited systems.

Funding

Not specified

Citation

@article{Kipkemoi2026Soil,
  author = {Kipkemoi, Isaac and Rotich, Brian and Kipkulei, Harison},
  title = {Soil moisture research in Kenya based on a systematic review of monitoring modelling and hydrological applications},
  journal = {Discover Soil.},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1007/s44378-026-00304-y},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s44378-026-00304-y}
}