Socio-Economic Link between Poverty, Environment and Tourism around Protected Areas: A Case Study of Communities Adjacent to Ruma National Park, Kenya

Abstract

In many parts of the world, the degradation of land and water resources is worsening while the social and economic conditions of people are not being improved. Among the reasons for this is the perception held by some that the sustainable management of the environment and economic development are competing priorities. Economists and social scientists concede that a causal link exists between the states of the environment vis-à-vis the levels of income in any population, particularly for underdeveloped and developing economies. Kenya’s chances of realizing its vision 2030 will depend increasingly on the way the country manages its natural or nature-based assets. The implication therefore is that the environment should not be treated as a competitor but as a core component of the natural resource base of human and social development. This work assessed the nature and state of the environment-poverty-tourism relationship at Ruma National Park (RNP), Kenya. Basically, the work evaluated how existence of the park has contributed to development and poverty reduction, or the lack of them, for the adjacent communities. The study was based on the ideology that hardly will local populations conserve a natural resource that they are not benefiting from. The results revealed that despite their support for conservation of the park and the ecosystem, the general feel within the local population is that a lot needs to be done if the ecosystem is to be conserved sustainably. Based on the findings of the study, the paper recommends strategies for the realization of environmental sustainability which is the gateway to achievement of all the other UNMDGs.