Trees for Fees--Thinking about Development in an Environmentally Conscious World

Not everyone has an Elon Musk hanging around. Recently, Donald Trump has brought attention back to the issue of 'climate change' by withdrawing from the international Paris Agreement. Although not binding, the agreement represented a general commitment to reduce the increase in global heat change to less than 2 degrees Celsius. The consequences of such an increase have the potential to be catastrophic, especially for environments and economies around the world. 

As discussed briefly last week, climate change has played a large role in agrarian economies and cultures, which have suffered from diminishing returns on crops and water droughts. Throughout Kenya, desertification has made a huge impact on the country's agriculture--include deforestation and the loss of some of the country's important savannas. However, the focus on environemental factors remains one of contention for many entrepreneurs and the local population, who are are trying to capitalize on the nation's resources and diverse ecology.

This past weekend, I was able to observe much of this at the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. In very tourist fashion, I toured the region in a van with other like-minded sightseers, hoping to catch a glimpse of lions, elephants, cheetahs, and the Great Migration (which, although early, we were lucky enough to see!). However, more immediatley noticeable was the incredibly dry and arid region surrounding those grasslands, which resembled much of the Southern California/Southwest U.S. environment I grew up in. There were sparse shrubs and dust everywhere (I'm still blowing my nose). Also, due to the start of migration season, the camp we stayed in was nearly at max capacity, and vans were seen almost more frequently than the animals themselves in the reserve. Although I very much enjoyed my trip, I know my presence did not necessarily benefit the environment, and I'm unsure of how my small budget impacted the local populace (or booking company). More importantly, I have not kept much track of my environmental footprint, and I know the diesel engines of the matatus can't have been good. Although I can do the best I can while in the country--much of the infrastructure relies on fossil fuels. In this environment, I kept thinking: are economic development and environmental efforts mutually exclusive in the developing world, and more particularly, Kenya? Economists and environmentalists debate, just as those argue for the difference between social and economic development. Perhaps the money is more important than the environment, which can be protected when the technology and funds are there. In opposition, it is vitally important to protect the environment now, and economic development can happen in due time under a better environmentally-friendly umbrella. Trump's position on the matter has been made clear. However, much of the population of the U.S., and even Kenya, are anywhere but unified in their opinions.

Take, for example, the safari business here in Kenya. Tourism (largely a result of the safari business) accounts for the second largest source of foreign exchange outside of agriculture (aka tea). The safari business highlights the wildlife that has made many regions throughout Africa famous--the opportunity to see lions, tigers (not) and bears (also not)! But really, it has allowed for communities surrounding the game reserves to have a source of income--many packages and deals for safaris can run from 600$ up to 3000$ for a weekend. Hence, the benefits to the community seem obvious--more access to resources (I saw a few Maasai rocking some pretty fresh Jordans) and general capital. Through independent enterprise, Maasai women have been able to sell their infamous jewelry to generate capital (and an annoying sense of cultural appropriation--don't get me started on all the white girls with weaves) for food to compensate for desertification. With increased capital, the Maasai people have been able to expand the sale of their products to shops in Nairobi (et al) and extend their market through M-Pesa and online sales (just Google Maasai jewelry). However, the dissemination of this money remains inconsistent. Although the Maasai value their independence and lifestyle, much of the surrounding towns that do not coincide with Maasai culture remain rural and disarray, despite the influx of capital. Many trips are booked through a central office in Nairobi, and thus much of the money goes back to Nairobi for package deals, and not to Maasai residents. Similarly, many Maasai women sell to dealers/companies/traders at a much lower price, which is marked up significantly in urban areas (such as Nairobi) or online traders.

Environmentally speaking, one can clearly note the presence it has had on the wildlife. Without reference to just enivronmental factors, the elephant population in Kenya has decreased by 30% in the past year alone due to overpoaching. The increasing presence of matatus has caused barriers and delays for migratory animals. Many of the game, which would normally cross at certain points throughout the day, would refuse because of the presence of humans and matatus. The increasing room required for accommodating visitors throughout 'safari season' has created more campsites, routes, and intersections dicing their way through the savanna. So what is the solution? Clean energy solutions are becoming increasingly affordable, and clean energy projects throughout Africa have gained a lot of international attention (and FDI) over recent history--just look at Obama's Power Africa initiative. Recently, Power Africa has invested nearly 1 billion dollars in private FDI to support wind and geothermal energy.  In another vein, Wangari Maathai gained a lot of recognition and a Nobel Peace Prize for her re-forestation efforts and activism for environmental efforst in the early 2000s. In the changing ecology of Kenya, and economic growth, what Wangari Maathai started should be renewed.

However, this still does not solve the issue of Maasai private enterprise, and the fact people will always want to see these amimals in their 'natural environment'.  Hopefully, these projects can not only pay for themselves, but provide more jobs to an economy while preserving Kenya's endangered species. I am no expert in this field, but at the very least, tourists such as myself can be cognizant of what their presence entails for the community and environment.  There is a bunch more information out there that I know I cannot provide (and am unaware of), and if you are intersted in the clean energy/development joint project (and Power Africa), check out the following link: https://www.usaid.gov/powerafrica/kenya.