Working Paper No. 16 of 2009 on Inequality, Poverty and the Environment in Kenya

Abstract

There is a growing body of theory and empirical evidence on the role of inequality in economic and social development. Inequality plays a role in poverty, growth and social stability. Following the post-election violence in 2008, inequality is perhaps the most important issue in Kenya. Degradation and overuse of environment and natural resources have also become a major policy concern. However, it is not clear how the two are related to each other. Does inequality contribute to degradation or does degradation of the environment and natural resources account for the glaring inequality in the country? The objective of this study is to explore the link between inequality and the environment. Literature review and interviews with key stakeholders were used to assess evidence on the link between inequality and the state of environmental and natural resources. The analysis reveals that there is differential dependence of environmental and natural resources, with the poor being more dependent than the non-poor. Women are most affected by degradation of environment and natural resources. Children are also vulnerable to degradation, as they are more exposed to indoor pollution and may lose school time as they search for water and firewood. The distribution of environment and natural resources is not equitable across the country, which accounts for significant regional inequality. There are regional differences in endowments of land, forests, fisheries, water and wildlife. Access to these resources differs among socio-economic groups and gender. Evidence suggests that the rich have relatively higher access than the poor. Women have less access particularly to land and fishery resources due to culture and social taboos. There is a vicious cycle between inequality and the status and management of the environment and natural resources in the country. The key causes of inequality include initial natural resource endowments in different regions, lack of or inadequate sector policies, inadequate legal and regulatory framework, social taboos and norms, general governance problems and political economy. Interventions that improve the management of the environment and natural resources and reduce inequality are desirable. Policies that reverse environmental degradation should not be pursued in isolation from socio-economic policies. There is need to harmonize environmental and developmental goals to ensure sustainability.