By Sylvie Plaskow
The Water Crisis, Climate Change and Ongoing Inequality.
Kenya’s population currently stands at around 53 million. However, 28 million of which do not have access to safe water. Water is crucial to human livelihood. Therefore, socioeconomic development can be drastically inhibited in nations affected by water scarcity. Kenya’s water scarcity has worsened during the country’s population growth and economic depreciation. This has been exacerbated by poor infrastructure, alongside the lack of sanitation which has intensified the outbreak of disease. Ultimately, this restrains the development of the economy and the emergence of Kenya as a nation of prosperity.
Through a geographic lens
Kenya’s natural water resources mainly reside on small and fragile catchments which are covered by mountainous forests in highland areas. As a result, the water resources available are unevenly distributed. Some studies have shown that Kenya has only 15% of its available water resources developed, a low figure which has been characterised by a severe lack of economic support. Subsequently, Kenya remains trapped in a cycle of recurrent drought. Additionally, due to an extension of the dry season, only 17% of its land can be used agriculturally which can only sustain 75% of the population. With the economy based around an agricultural hub, agriculture provides around one third of the country’s income. Thus, the effects of drought are catastrophic, severely impacting people’s livelihoods.
Economic Impacts
A prevalent issue lies with the key challenges towards the development of Kenya; poverty and inequality are ongoing weaknesses that need to be addressed with public sector investments. Despite growth between 2015-2019 ‘averaging 4.8% per year,’ 2020 saw the economy take a hit, disrupting any subsequent growth. With a significant portion of Kenya’s population engaged in small scale farming, the water crisis threatens rural livelihoods which has heightened poverty. Water scarcity and recurrent drought led to crop and livestock fatalities which in turn further drives poverty and inequality. The water crisis has also led to inadequate access to food resources, resulting in malnutrition and the development of public health issues in many cases. Consequently, about ’15 million Kenyans’ are locked out of safe access to water and ’22 million’ lack access to sufficient sanitation. This is a result of ongoing poverty, intertwined with climate change.
Not only does Kenya face recurrent drought, but it also suffers from polluted water sources. With Kenya’s population growing each year, it is estimated that by 2025, Kenya’s per capita water availability will be 235 cubic metres per year. Couple this with the fact that most Kenyans only have access to polluted water and you have something close to a catastrophe. With 29% of the population living on less than 3.20 dollars a day, the water crisis is especially prevalent in informal settlements which have little or no infrastructure. These settlements are prone to insufficient water and sanitation access which is heightened by crowded conditions and limited resources.
Conflict and Societal impacts
The water crisis has also been accelerated by sustained conflict throughout the East African region, historically a key driver of famine. This has enhanced the strain on food and water supplies, directly impacting public health. Human dependence on water has been intentionally exploited during conflict as water kiosks, used to deliver clean water, have come under targeted attacks. With Kenya situated in the Horn of Africa, the risk of conflict remains high due to political fragility. This was seen during the 2022 elections in Kenya and Somalia, creating tensions which dismissed the importance of responding to the current water crisis incurred by ongoing drought. Moreover, this forced many of the population to sell assets such as livestock or household items and encouraged land migration in search of water and humanitarian support.
The water shortage also means that women and children are restricted in their ability to work or get an education as up to one third of women and children spend their day seeking access to water. This leaves around half of the country’s population vulnerable to dangers such as exposure to the risks of the sun’s intensity. Not only this, but the primary water collectors are also the ones most susceptible to water-borne diseases, a vast concern for public health in Kenya. The rate of exposure is intensifying the populations susceptibility to disease through basins, pumps and containers used to fill up water.
Across the world, women are becoming more susceptible to the effects of the water and sanitation crisis. According to a report from the first ‘in-depth analysis of gender inequalities in drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene in households,’ for every 7 out of 10 households, women are responsible for collecting the water. Women’s privacy is also compromised as the report asserted more than half a billion still share sanitation facilities across the globe – this can lead to the mutual feeling of unsafety amongst women. There is also a disproportionate effect on woman in comparison to men as they are exposed to disease more frequently.
More Recent Successes
Despite this, progress has since been made. Educational initiatives have been successful in raising awareness of the significance of sanitation and clean water. Additionally, NGOs are working to provide resources, alongside the Kenyan government who are investing in water management initiatives. This satisfies their vision to develop stronger infrastructure in order to drive change in response to the water crisis.
It is important to understand and raise awareness of this devastating crisis unfolding in Kenya as no less than an estimated 50% of the population currently live in water-stressed areas. Not only has this led to health issues, but also food insecurity, poverty, and environmental degradation. In turn, this has caused a lack of economic development as the crisis continues to decrease productivity, hampering the economy and its ability to grow. Adding climate change into the mix has only fuelled the devastation of this environmental crisis.
Awareness is of importance here as support is generated through a greater understanding of the crisis by international bodies. Humanitarian partners in Kenya, as well as the United Nations and the Government of Kenya itself, are all working together to help stop the crisis worsening in the short term and importantly, resolve it in the long term.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and may not reflect the opinions of the St Andrews Economist.
Image Source: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/gallery/2021/nov/05/kenyas-water-crisis-leaves-villagers-at-risk-of-violence-and-disease-in-pictures