Kenya

INTRODUCTION

Kenya is the leading economy in east and central Africa. It has the potential to become a middle income country. However, poverty level is still high and Millennium Development Goals have not yet been achieved. The development is weakened by recurrent severe droughts that overall illustrate the impact of climate change on the country.

The main long term policy document guiding the development of Kenya is Vision 2030, a national development blueprint to create a prosperous and competitive nation and become a middle-income country by 2030.

FOCAL SECTORS

Two prior sectors are concerned by environmental issues:

Kenya RoDobby from Pixabay

The improvement of Agriculture sector will ensure food security of the rural population and their resilience to future climatic shocks. It is also one of the key economic sectors expected to drive the economy. 

The sector faces many challenges:

• A predominantly rain-fed agriculture,
• Climate change affecting the Arid and Semi-Arid lands (ASAL) which also have some of the highest levels of poverty incidence.

To address resilience, a holistic approach is envisaged and will include issues of water and ecosystems. Moreover, the economy of Kenya is mainly natural resource based and rehabilitation of watersheds will be necessary as they provide critical ecosystem services.

Sustainable land management should be emphasised by measures to improve agricultural output. These measures include agro-forestry and sustainable management of natural resources.

High levels of rural poverty persist due to environmental degradation particularly poor water management, soil erosion and declining fertility. The high population growth rate, frequent droughts, large rural income disparities are some other causes of rural poverty.

You can find more information on the link between poverty reduction and environmental management here.

tpsdave from Pixabay

Energy and transport are key drivers for the realisation of Kenya’s Vision 2030. Building sustainable infrastructures is in line with the EU Agenda for Change to support an inclusive and sustainable growth for human development is necessary to achieve the objective of eradicating poverty. The transport sector is also a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions; it generates air and noise pollution and is a key consumer of energy.

Household electrification remains weak, leading to unequal accessibility of energy services. Vulnerability of energy supplies leaves Kenya prone to price volatility, supply instability and interruptions in dry periods which cause physical hardship and economic burden.

Renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy substitution programmes for households are necessary given the significant proportion of population using biomass as the main energy source. These programmes are required to promote a sustainable growth.

To mitigate climate change and reduce land degradation, the sustainable management of forest resources also complements the objectives of the agricultural sector. The investments in energy and transport would lead to economic and social progresses, if the environment is taken into account, to limit the negative impacts and promote green growth policies.

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DISCLAIMER: This information is provided in the interests of knowledge sharing and capacity development and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission, or any other organisation.