Balancing Between Ecology And Economy
allafrica.com Visit The Publisher's Site The East African Standard (Nairobi) OPINION March 10, 2003 Posted to the web March 10, 2003 Otieno Otieno Nairobi
If the predictions of one ancient scholar by the name Malthus were right, the human species would have disappeared from the face of the earth today. Malthus contended that since the human population growth was exponential, it would soon reach a threshold and come down crashing.
But long after he passed on, humanity is not any closer to extinction. Instead, we are watching a population explosion in our time. And many of the latter day scholars have dismissed Malthus as an alarmist-which is not entirely true. Malthus' concern was somehow valid, but he had simply ignored the potential of technology, better healthcare and other factors to reverse the trend for the better.
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More recently, some scientists have argued that because crude oil is a non-renewable resource, the world's oil wells would run dry soon. Yet the OPEC members are striking new wells bubbling with the product every other day. The only times there is limited supply are in the events of a pending war in the Gulf or violent demonstrations in Venezuela.
In the same breath, wanton destruction of forests in the past has sent similar panic among Kenyans. It is understandable. The country's forest cover is shrinking so fast, only about 2.5 per cent of our land area is currently under forest-a far cry from the international standard of 10 per cent required of countries. It has thus become rather unfashionable to imagine any development activity taking place in any of our forests. That is why a lot of heat has been generated by the recent revelation that an American investor had bought a section of Karura forest to build a tourist hotel.
Whether or not he acquired it on the strength of a legal notice may not matter much now. But the transaction has not failed to raise some serious issues about environmental conservation in Kenya. Do forests have any other benefits to Kenyans apart from the crucial natural values of attracting rain and acting as water catchment areas? Should we preserve our forests just as part of our national heritage and for their aesthetic value?
At face value, it seems difficult to appreciate that economic benefits can accrue from our forests without undermining conservation efforts. How do we put in check the common economic greed that comes with investments?
The whole world was once locked in a similar dilemma. With high population growth and the zeal to attain economic development, the world's natural resources came under a lot of pressure. It suddenly emerged that the resources were getting depleted at a faster rate than they could recover.
But it was not until 1972 that the problem gained significant international attention. Governments and environmentalists who converged for a conference in Stockholm, Sweden, left with a loose agreement to improve the status of natural resources.
When a similar meeting was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992, the resolve was much stronger. They even came up with a plan of action, which was compressed in the now popular document with environmentalists, Agenda 21.
One remarkable lesson in the document is the recognition that the environment and economic development are two sides of the same coin. It correctly emphasises the need to strike a balance between ecology and economics using a tool called Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The environmental expert's version of a cost/benefit analysis, any EIA's twin objectives are to identify and mitigate the dangers posed by the development project on the environment. Where a serious conflict arises, an independent EIA can be relied upon to establish the truth.
Kenya set in earnest to domesticate Agenda 21 in her environmental policy in the National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP) of 1994. The content of NEAP later fed heavily into the authoritative legislation-the Environmental Management and Co-ordination Act, 1999.
Notably, the Act also prescribes an independent EIA for major development activities in the country.
Public opinion may tie the government's hands on such matters.
But in future, the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Environment should find it valuable to subject all development projects to independent EIAs before approving or dismissing them.
One more thing. The government should demand of investors a high degree of corporate responsibility to help conserve the natural resources. But a balance must be struck between ecology and economics-however delicate.