Eric MwangiF16/35631/2013FCE 392 Environmental ScienceLecturer: D.M. Wanjau

THE ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITH CASE STUDIES IN KENYA.

Table of ContentsTable of Contents....................................................................................................................................1

Introduction.................................................................................................................................................2

Economic Growth and the Role of Environmental Engineering...................................................................2

Stages of Economic Development..........................................................................................................3

Kenya’s Economic development..............................................................................................................4

Case studies.............................................................................................................................................5

Konza Techno City...............................................................................................................................5

Standard Gauge Railway....................................................................................................................10

Underground Water Aquifer in Turkana County................................................................................13

Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................16

References.................................................................................................................................................17

IntroductionA prosperous country is one in which the citizens have access to all the different amenities that

allow them to enjoy a healthy and dignified life. Although individual happiness and wellness are

not quantifiable, it is possible to gauge the general level of a country’s well-being by analysing

some general aspects of its citizen’s lives such as the gross domestic product per capita, human

capital resources, health and safety, security, education, governance and social freedoms. The

gross domestic product per capita or GDP/Capita, is the most widely used measure of general

prosperity. It the measure of the monetary value of all the finished goods and services that a

nation produces including public and private consumption, government spending, foreign

investments and exports divided by the total population in the country. The GDP/Capita

assumes that the prosperity of a society is tied to how much income the individuals get.

However, the prosperity of an individual is influenced by many other factors apart from income.

In considering the health and general well-being of a person as well as the social freedoms they

enjoy, it is possible to paint a better picture as to what constitutes a prosperous and happy

nation. (Benny, 2009)

Economic Growth and the Role of Environmental EngineeringIn order to encourage economic growth in a country, finite resources must be utilized in the

most efficient way possible, giving the greatest benefit to the most number of people. This

means that there are more able bodied and healthy individuals who are able to contribute even

more towards development, leading to a ripple effect in which the better the quality of life in a

country is, the easier it is for the people in that country to improve it exponentially. However,

without proper management of natural resources, this exponential growth can be cut short

abruptly. Engineering by definition is concerned with the design and bringing together of

existing technologies in combination with innovative techniques and concepts to create

structures and systems which can then be used to the benefit of the general public.

Environmental engineering more specifically is concerned with how the principles of

engineering can be applied towards ensuring that the environments in which people live in

have the best conditions possible. This means that environmental engineering directly

influences the economic growth of a nation in that the proper management of the resources

available increases the country’s potential for development. (Himbara, 1993)

Stages of Economic DevelopmentEconomic development is classified into three main stages, primary, secondary and tertiary. All

countries can be considered to be at a point between any of these three stages though

sometimes it is hard to clearly measure at which level a country is due to the many variable

characteristics that define these stages.

1. Primary/Subsistence/Production based economy

These are the poorest countries in which the main source of income for the citizens and the

country is basic production of goods such as food and agricultural materials. There is minimal

value addition in terms of manufacturing or processing industries. These countries though have

the greatest potential in terms or natural resources available and a large amount of human

capital. Countries at this stage are most vulnerable to environmental degradation as they rely

heavily on natural resources.

2. Secondary/Commercial/Industrial economy

Countries that are this stage of their development have transitioned from production to

manufacturing and processing of raw materials. There are opportunities for skilled and

unskilled labour in the industries and technology is applied at the basic level to facilitate more

efficient production. It is at this stage of economic development that the biggest negative

impacts to the environment occur; especially from the use of outdated technology and less

efficient production techniques. Factories and industries usually affect the environment directly

through pollution of the air and water by the wastes and by products of production.

3. Tertiary/Knowledge/Service based economy

The third and most developed stage is the knowledge economy. Here there is a high level of

specialization of labour and advanced technology is used to ensure that there is efficient

production of all goods. Since technology and better manufacturing processes are used, the

impact of industries on the environment is reduced to some degree although this is offset by

the increase in pollution from the general public whom with a large disposable income become

heavy consumers of perishable products.

At every level of development, there must be systems in place that allow for the proper use of

resources while still preserving them for future use. Environmental engineering plays an

important role in this by coming up with systems, structures and technologies that help spur

economic growth while exploiting the environment in the least way possible. (Bigman, 2002)

Kenya’s Economic developmentKenya is a secondary economy that relies on agriculture, tourism, mining, manufacturing

industries, energy and financial services to drive it. In 2015 the economy of the country grew by

between 4% and 5% according to the World Bank: fuelled by investments in construction and

infrastructure, ICT technology and financial services. Kenya is considered the economic hub of

the East African region and is targeting increased levels of development.

Case studiesIn 2008, Kenya launched a grand plan to ensure that the country’s economy reaches middle

income status by the year 2030. This development program dubbed Vision 2030, consists of a

series of five year midterm goals with its ain pillars being the social, economic and political

pillars. A number of flagship projects were set out whose objectives were to propel the

movement of the economy into the middle income status. In order for these projects to be

considered successful and to reap the most benefits to the people, their implementation and

management has to be keenly focused on. The role of environmental engineering in this

implementation and management is not a small one since various factors have to be considered

such as the environmental costs of establishing the projects, the effect that the finished

projects will have on the environment and whether the projects will be able to be self-

sustaining.

Konza Techno City

Background

The Konza Techno City is a development project in Kenya’s Eastern province that is envisioned

to be the technological development hub of the region. The project is a multifunctional one set

to host various different businesses, educational institutions, entertainment and recreational

areas, health, and housing amenities all relatively accessible and in close proximity to their

support systems. 5000 acres of land in Makueni County has been set aside for the project and

in total its estimated costs are over 1 trillion Kenya shillings. The project is to be completed in

phases with the first phase of a 400 acre development currently in its initial stages. (BBC, 2013)

Significance to economic development in Kenya and how it relates to the

environment

The Konza Techno City is designed to spur the economic growth of Kenya and the greater east

African region by encouraging foreign investments in the country as well as creating an

environment in which technology and innovations can emerge, further spearheading economic

growth. The establishment of this city means that support systems for the people working and

living within its boundaries must be set up and this has a direct environmental impact. (Thuita,

2011)

The construction of the city as well as the relevant infrastructure such as roads and sanitation

services like any other construction project, will have a direct impact on the environment due

to the excavation and use of raw materials needed to build it. In addition to this, energy will

have to be generated to ensure that there is electricity to run the city and for its residents and

industries to use. There will also be waste materials produced by the inhabitants of the city and

because of its scale in terms of size this waste can cause serious environmental damage if it is

not managed properly.

In order to ensure the success of KTC, environmental management systems must be put in

place that closely monitor the design, construction and running of the development at every

level to ensure that its ecological footprint is kept at a minimum while still reaping the

economic benefits that it will provide (World Bank Group, 2016). Sustainable policies should be

adopted at this early stage that will govern such areas as construction and development of

infrastructure in the most environmentally friendly way possible, management of the available

resources in not only development, but afterwards in the running of the City and creation of an

environmentally friendly culture in all the future residents of the city whether corporate or

individual in order to ensure that there is an active push to reduce the negative impact that

development has on the environment. This management is important not only in ensuring that

the country plays its part in sustaining the environment, but will also go a long way in ensuring

that some of the local problems brought about by climate change are mitigated. Issues like the

availability of water for human consumption and agriculture, or the quality and health of the

soil in the area are directly affected by the development of the project and this has direct

impacts on the indigenous inhabitants of the area. If proper management of these natural

resources is not carried out, there will be the potential to not only resist the city itself, but also

the resurgence of conflicts as a result of the limited resources available for these people to use.

Mitigation of Environmental ImpactThe Konza City Development is geared towards innovation and the development of technology

as a global product or service. This means that there is the potential for new processes and

systems to be developed either directly within the city or as a result of work carried out within

the city, which will help improve the systems of managing the environment. Inventors and

investors will be able to tap into a vast knowledge and resource pool that will allow them to

build technologies that can help mitigate the effects of climate change and environmental

degradation. (Bigman, 2002) These technologies may come in different ways such as mobile

technology, energy generation and conservation and alternative sources of fuel and energy.

These developments will be beneficial to the residents and organisations housed in KTC as well

as the greater region and even the world as the field of science continues to seek ways to

reduce the impact humans have had on the environment and even reverse some of the

negative impacts that have arisen due to these activities.

Standard Gauge Railway

Background of the projectAnother flagship project of Kenya’s vision 2030 plan is the building of a standard gauge railway

from the port city of Mombasa through Nairobi and onwards to the border town of Malaba till

the capital city of Uganda, another branch of the railway line will go on to the Kigali in Rwanda

and to the South Sudanese city of Juba. The railway follows the current metre gauge railway

that was laid by the colonialists in the early 1900’s and which till today is the only existing and

functioning railway in the country.

Significance to economic development in KenyaThe building of this railway is set to greatly improve the economies of not only Kenya but the

greater East Africa region by facilitating the quicker and more efficient transportation of people

and goods across the region. Mombasa is the biggest port in the region and the SGR will allow

for goods to be transported directly from the port to where they are needed inland. The design

of the railway s projected to carry 22 million tons of freight a year by 2035.

This means that the process of production within the country will not only be faster but also

cheaper, leading to increased investments form foreign nations that would like to take

advantage of more efficient production and supply. It also directly translates to more products

being made available for export from within the East Africa borders, further increasing the

amount of foreign money being earned. (African Development Bank Group, 2014)

Environmental Impact of the development The construction of the standard gauge railway poses a lot of risks to the environment mainly

because of its sheer scale. The first phase of the project, from Mombasa to Nairobi has a route

length of 472km and with the addition of service lines and other maintenance tracks its total

length is just short of 610 kilometres. This means that the railway will need a lot of natural

resources for raw materials as well as clearing of the route in order for construction to

continue. These raw materials must be mined from the areas surrounding the route. The

railway also passes through the habitats of many animals and this means that they will be

affected too as they are not accustomed to the activity that comes with the construction and

running of the railway.

The environmental impact of the railway is not only limited to its construction but also in its

operation as well. The trains to be used are primarily diesel powered and they release carbon

dioxide and other gases into the air as a result of the burning of fuel in the engines. They will

also produce a lot of sound and noise pollution.

Mitigation of the impactThe design, planning and construction of the standard gauge railway must ensure that it has the

least negative environmental impact. The selection of the routes and where the support service

stations will be established should also keenly be assessed to factor in the impact that it will

have on the environment. Lastly in the running of the rail service, the trains that will be used

should be environmentally friendly: able to efficiently use fuel while producing the least

amount of emissions and noise. (Bigman, 2002)

Underground Water Aquifer in Turkana County

BackgroundTurkana County and the greater Northern region of the country has long been seen to be a

derelict and neglected area in terms of both social and economic development. The region is

characterised by extremely high temperatures and the climate is generally dry and arid. As a

result, the economic development of this region has been far slower than that of other areas in

the country. There are fewer towns, roads, industries and other infrastructure for the people to

use as a result of the limited availability of natural resources and neglect from government

planning and investment. However, in the recent past, the growth potential of the region has

sky rocketed with the discovery of viable deposits of both crude oil and water from an

underground aquifer. Between these two resources, the region and the country as a whole

have an opportunity to improve the socioeconomic productivity of Turkana. (Office of the Prime

Minister, 2009)

Significance of the Aquifer to Kenya’s developmentWater is used in almost every aspect of life from basic drinking and preparation of food to

agriculture and as a factor of production in almost all industries. In 2013 it was discovered that

roughly 300 metres underground in the town of Lokitipi there is a giant aquifer containing

almost 200 million cubic meters of water. An aquifer is a natural geological feature formed in

layered soil deposits. It consists of a porous layer of rock sandwiched between layers of

impermeable rock. Groundwater collects between these two impermeable layers and

eventually forms underground wells. These wells can the span many kilometres and in the case

of the Lokitipi well it extends all the way to South Sudan and Ethiopia (Oxfam Uk, 2013). This

deposit has the potential to not only supply the residents of that region with water for

household use but it is also large enough to be used to support any industries that might be

established. This means that the aquifer has the potential to catapult the region ahead in terms

of social and economic development. (Basu, 2013)

Environmental ImpactHowever, in order for this resource to be properly utilized and to benefit the people it must be

taken care of and managed in a careful manner. Ground water can easily be polluted by

materials deposited on the ground usually as waste in dumpsites or chemicals sprayed on the

ground such as fertilizers and pesticides. These chemicals leak into the ground and eventually

leach into the water deposits, making them dangerous for human consumption. The way this

resource is used should also be planned for beforehand in order to ensure that it is used in the

areas that will have the most positive impact across the board. (Ministry of Environment &

Natural Resources, 2000)

ConclusionThe human species is dominant over the whole biosphere and as a global society it is our duty

and responsibility to take care of the environment. The economic growth and development of

many nations has been directly tied to the exploitation and utilisation of natural resources and

as a result the world has been facing increasing environmental problems and degradation.

Environmental engineering is a field concerned with the management and sustainability of the

environment. This means that it plays a very important role in ensuring that the natural

resources available to a country are used in a manner that is efficient, productive and

sustainable. Economic development although important in improving the lives of a country’s

people should never be put ahead of the health of the environment as without nature and

natural resources, life on the planet would be impossible.

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