Introduction
Ecology is a branch of science that entails the distribution of all living organisms and their interactions with the environment. Human ecology which is the main concern in this paper entails the study of human beings and how they interact with the natural environment.
The activities in which human beings are involved affect the ecology of the given region in different ways depending on the effects of the activities involved. This paper looks into how the societies are affecting the ecology of Kenya which is the country of choice giving an insight on the effects on the availability of the natural resources to the people, the initial mode of livelihood and the changes that have occurred and finally the environmental problems facing Kenya as a country and the possible solutions.
How the Geography and Geology of Kenya Has Influenced the Availability of Resources to the People
Geology is the study of aspects of the earth including the materials from which it is made up, the composition of the materials as well as the processes that act upon the materials. Geography on the other hand is the study of the earth and all its features including the distribution of life and how human activity affects this. Kenya is a small country in Africa and has a majority of natural resources which include wildlife, hydropower, limestone, soda ash, zinc, diatomite, salt, gemstones, fluorspar, and gypsum among others.
The geography and geology of the country has influenced the availability of resources to the residents in a number of ways for example the people closer to the sources or the mines containing the natural resources such as the minerals or oil are in a better position to access the resources as compared to those far away who have to incur some extra costs in the event of having the resources.
The exploitation and misuse also affect the availability of the resources to the people. The availability of resources is usually dynamic and dependent on the patterns used the conservations policies that govern the resources.
The Main Historical Mode of Livelihood for the Kenyan People
Kenyan people have for a long period of time depended on agriculture as the main source of livelihood. Agriculture has also been the leading contributor to the country’s economy despite the fact that only a small percentage of the country’s total land is linked with adequate rainfall and sufficient fertility levels.
There has however been gradual changes in the sources of livelihood for the Kenyan people for example in the year 2006, the number of Kenyans depending on farming was estimated to be 75 percent which is a declined as compared to the 80 percent that earned their living from agriculture in 1980. This is due to productivity decline associated with agriculture which is heavily dependent on climate more specifically rainfall.
This makes some parts of Kenya more appropriate for agricultural practices as compared to others due to the climate differences; changes in weather leads to the shift to other sources of livelihood such as business and industrialization. Kenya has experienced landslides, droughts and floods which have disrupted the agriculture industry. A good example is the El Nino of 1997-1998, which paralyzed agriculture in Kenya (Mutugi and Maingi, 2011).
How the Current Practices and Patterns of Living, Working and Consuming Are Impacting On the Local and Global Environment
Human beings are the major elements that are associated with both the positive and negative impacts on the environment. This is through the practices people are involved in with respect to how they live, work and their general consumption patterns.
The increase in population growth, for instance, has had lots of adverse effects on the environment as it is linked with the encroachment of the marginal areas as the number of people exceeds the available land, it also leads to over consumption of natural resources for example the forests as sources of fuel and in the long run leads to pollution due to production of waste products e.g. through charcoal burning.
The lack of dependence on agriculture and shift to other sectors has also led to rural urban migration which affects the environment adversely due to inadequate water and sanitation services, deterioration of transport systems and shortage of appropriate housing facilities. All these factors lead to pollution (air, soil and water) and land degradation.
Human modifications to the environment have led to loss of wildlife, acid rains, the depletion of the ozone layer due to excess pollution, and deforestation which destroys biodiversity. Industrialization and modernization have been deemed to have adverse effects on the environment for instance deterioration of the quality of air caused by the emissions from industries and plants as well as vehicles. The wastes from industries also affect the quality of water as in most cases; they are directed to the rivers.
The utilization of fossils as a source of energy has led to depletion of natural resources and global warming due to green house gases. Some of the positive modifications entails construction of water sources for instance dams to the arid areas, indulgence in reforestation activities and enhancement of agricultural practices for instance through utilization of aspects like irrigation (Gottlieb, 2004).
The Most Pressing Environmental Issues Facing the Country and Possible Solutions
Kenya is facing a number of environmental issues most of which have been as a result of the human influence to the environment. Some of the issues include; desertification, deforestation, soil erosion, shortages in water supply in a variety of regions, unmonitored garbage disposal, endangered wildlife species, famine and drought poor quality of air and water, and pollution among others. Acidification in soils and the presence of acid rains is also a major environmental issue of concern in Kenya.
The solutions to the environmental problems are specific to individual problem in question for instance the problem of soil erosion could be eliminated through improved land use for instance employment of techniques like terrace construction, tillage practices and tree planting. Recycling of waste materials, prevention of oil spills, prevention of emissions, avoiding deforestation are some of the ways of reducing pollution. Afforestation and reforestation are good practices that help counter the effects of deforestation.
Campaign and education programs aimed at instilling the importance of conserving the environment among the Kenyans is a positive step towards reducing the negative effects of human activity on the environment as the people will be enlightened and therefore work towards safeguarding the environment for their own good and for the sake of the generations to come.
Establishment and implementation of laws and policies to govern the utilization of the environment is also an effective way of safeguarding the environment as people will be held responsible and accountable for their negative contributions towards the environment hence reducing the chances of degradation (International Institute for Environment & Development, 2000).
Reference List
Gottlieb, S.R. (2004). The Sacred Earth: Religion, Nature, Environment. New York: Routledge
International Institute for Environment & Development (2000). Sustainable Cities Revisited III – 7060iied. United Kingdom: IIED
Mutugi, W.M and Maingi, G.S. (2011). Disasters in Kenya: A Major Public Health Concern. Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology Vol. 3(1), pp. 38-42.