UNDP-UNEP Poverty-Environment Initiative

Please download the PEI Country fact sheet on Kenya (PDF)

Basic facts of the PEI in Kenya

• The first PEI Kenya project was implemented between August 2005 and December 2010 by the Government of Kenya with support from UNDP Kenya, DFID and UNEP.
• Following a mid-term review of the PEI Project in 2008, a new PEI project was developed for 2011–2013 to contribute to the achievement of Kenya’s United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF 2009–2013).
• The PEI strategy aims to contribute to the realization of the MDGs, Kenya’s Vision 2030 and related Medium Term Plans through enhanced integration of poverty-environment issues in planning, monitoring and investment. Key entry points identified are enhanced land use planning and water catchment management, improved advocacy, research and national-level dialogue to influence decision-making at national, sector and local levels.
• The lead national institution is the Ministry of Planning, National Development and Vision 2030, in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning and National Development, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, and the National Environment Management Authority.
• Programme implementation is supported by a PEI Secretariat, composed of a national project manager, a seconded officer from the Government of Kenya, and a programme assistant.
• Approximately USD 2.2 million was committed to the first phase of the project. Donors include DFID, the Government of Luxembourg, the Government of Norway (through UNEP) and UNDP Kenya. All funds are distributed through UNDP Kenya.
• The current project (2011-2013) has a budget of USD 1.45 million with contributions from UNDP Kenya (USD 600,000) PEI (USD 200,000 subject to fund availability) and Government of Kenya (USD 75,000) and an unfunded budget USD 575,000.

The context of poverty-environment mainstreaming in Kenya

• The Government of Kenya recognizes the importance of the environment in achieving its economic recovery and poverty reduction goals in its Vision 2030 launched in 2008, anchored on three pillars: Economic, Social and Political Governance.The economic pillar aims to achieve economic growth of 10 per cent per annum by 2012 and to sustain such performance over the period to 2030 in order to address poverty, unemployment and equity. Key growth drivers include tourism, agriculture, trade, business process off-shoring, and financial services.
• The social pillar seeks to create a just, cohesive and equitable social development in a clean and secure environment. Key social sectors include: education, health, water and sanitation, the environment, urbanization, equity and poverty elimination, science and technology, and gender. Furthermore, the Medium Term Plan (2008–2012) includes five flagship projects under the environment sector including the Water Catchments Management Initiative; Securing the Wildlife Corridors and Migratory Routes Initiative; the Solid Waste Management System Initiative; the Plastic Bags Initiative; and the Land Cover and the Land Use Mapping Initiative.
• The Environment Management Coordination Act bill was enacted by the Parliament in 1999. In 2007, the Government launched a process of formulating an over-arching Environment Policy based on the Environment and Development Sessional Paper (1999).PEI used this as an opportunity to provide guidance on the mainstreaming of environment into development planning and budget processes.
• PEI supports the implementation of Vision 2030, Medium Term Plans and subnational planning and monitoring processes by focusing on the impacts of environmental degradation on poverty and investments required for pro-poor growth and poverty reduction.

Main activities

• Improving the understanding of poverty-environment linkages within government ministries and institutions and other stakeholders, including through investigative studies at district level to assess poverty and environmental challenges, causes and solutions
• Strengthening capacity in economic valuation and assessment of Kenya’s natural resources, including tools for integration of environment into the national budget, e.g., through Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and other sector-levelpublic expenditure review processes
• Supporting the development of District Environmental Action Plans (DEAPs) in Bondo,Meru South and Murang’a North districts, including improving stakeholder participation in the DEAP formulation process and strengthening linkages with district development planning and monitoring processes
• Enhancing capacity of key stakeholders to integrate poverty-environment linkages in development policies, plans and budgets
• Improving the capacity of communities to manage their environment and natural resources sustainably through awareness creation, awards such as the Equator Initiative Prize, and environmental education

What has been achieved to date? 

Improved knowledge base and understanding of the contribution of environment to poverty reduction and growth

• Two background studies to improve understanding of poverty and environment linkages at district and national levels, including “Poverty and Environment Issues: Governance, Institutions, Institutional Frameworks and Opportunities” and “Voices from the Field: Bondo, Murang’a and Meru South Districts”

• Briefing Note titled “Making the Connection: Economic Growth, Poverty and the Environment.Some 5,000 copies of the briefing note were distributed to all District Environment Officers, District Development Officers, and PEI Kenya institutional partners. As an indication of improved understanding of the role of environment in economic growth and poverty reduction, PEI’s contribution was sought in the Vision 2030 process.

• Policy Brief on Achieving the MDGs and Vision 2030 through Sustainable Development. The brief examines national commitments to environmental sustainability and makes recommendations for enhancing national capacity for economic valuation of the environment and natural resources, harmonization of legislative frameworks including economic instruments, and strengthening the national system of accounts in order to meet Kenya’s long-term development objectives.

 Integration of poverty-environment issues in key planning frameworks for poverty reduction, growth and national MDG targets

• Improved elaboration of District Environment Action Plans (DEAP) and District Development Plans for new Medium Term Plan (2008–2012) from a poverty-environment perspective: Three District Environment Action Plans (Bondo, Murang’a North and Meru South Districts) were completed. The DEAP processes have served to raise the profile of environmental services and natural resource management in district planning processes, and the need for multi-sectoral planning. Draft Guidelines for Mainstreaming Environment in the Development Planning process were prepared, drawing lessons from the DEAP process. PEI has also supported the finalisation of new District Development plans for all districts in Kenya that integrate environmental sustainability in planned projects and activities.

• Development of an environment policy for Kenya: PEI supported the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MENR) to elaborate a “Road Map” to prepare an Environment Policy. The PEI supported the work of seven thematic taskforces and the National Steering Committee in the production of the Environment Policy Paper, which fed into the Draft Environment Policy (June 2008). The policy covers sustainable management of ecosystems, sustainable use of natural resources, environmental stewardship, enhancing environmental quality, environmental research and monitoring, linkages with other sectors, and implementation strategies and actions.

• Integration of poverty-environment indicators in national and district planning and monitoring: A study to support the Government of Kenya in developing a set of indicators linking poverty and environment was completed in 2009. The study has identified contributions of poverty-environment linkages to the achievement of national and subnational development objectives and developed a core set of poverty-environment indicators, baselines and protocols for data collection. This indicator development process contributed to the on-going review of national indicators for monitoring the implementation of Kenya’s Vision 2030 and its Medium Term Plan.

 Improved collaboration between environmental agencies, planning/finance agencies and key donors on mainstreaming environment into national development processes

• Cross-fertilization between PEI Kenya and PEITanzania: As part of the South-South cooperation that PEI aims to facilitate, the PEI Kenya team visited Tanzania in September 2006 to learn from the Tanzanian experience of poverty-environment mainstreaming. The key elements in the Tanzanian success in poverty-environment mainstreaming were identified and a list of follow-up actions for Kenya was agreed on.

• Improved Donor Coordination: Clarity between donors on relationships and coordination modalities between technical assistance programmes working with MPND, MENR, NEMA and other institutions under the EMCA has been achieved in accordance with the Paris Declaration. PEI played a central role in achieving this, including facilitating a donor harmonisation workshop on the request of MENR. Through their respective advisers, PEI and the DANIDA/SIDA Environment Sector Support Programme are working closely together, demonstrating how two programmes can complement each other and achieve real synergies.

Lessons learned

• It is important to demonstrate the links between poverty and environment at the national and local levels in a language familiar to planners and policymakers.
• Restrained government capacity needs to be addressed in moving the mainstreaming processes forward whilst ensuring full government leadership and ownership of the process.
• Given limited financial and time resources, there is a need to have a clear programme focus and clearly prioritize activities linked to on-going national and sector priorities and policy implementation.
• The review of the PEI Kenya programme by the Government of Kenya provided useful insights to improve project implementation, including the need to strengthen national ownership by including a broader range of stakeholders and enhancing the integration of the PEI Kenya interventions with the main activities of the Ministry of Planning, National Development and Vision 2030.

Way forward

• Based on the recommendations from the review of the PEI programme in 2008, the Ministry of Planning, National Development and Vision 2030 developed a Joint Programme in 2010 to be implemented between 2011 and 2013. 
• Within the new joint Government of Kenya, UNDP Kenya and PEI Kenya programme (2011–2013), PEI is responsible for the component on strengthening capacity in:­ economic valuation and assessment methods through training economists and planners in key sector ministries in environmental economic; ­ supporting a comprehensive economic assessment and pilot economic valuations of key ecosystems;­ strengthening the national system of accounts to include environmental resource; and ­ strategic environment assessment of a key sector policy and implementation plan