Kenya

Kenya Environment Overview

Kenya, located in East Africa, is renowned for its diverse environmental landscape. The country's climate varies significantly, ranging from tropical conditions along the coastline to arid environments in the inland regions. Agriculture plays a vital role in Kenya's land use, with approximately 49.5% of the land dedicated to agricultural activities as of 2023. This includes 11.4% arable land and 36.7% as permanent pasture. Despite the agricultural focus, environmental challenges such as water contamination from urban and industrial discharges, deforestation, and soil degradation persist. Kenya is committed to addressing these issues and is a party to several international environmental agreements, including the Paris Agreement on climate change. Additionally, with a total renewable water resource of 30.7 billion cubic meters, water management remains a critical area of focus. As urbanization continues to grow at a rate of 4.09% annually, understanding and managing the environmental impacts are crucial for Kenya's sustainable development.

Climate

ranges from tropical along the coastline to arid in the inland regions

Land use

other

44% (2023 est.)

forest

6.5% (2023 est.)

agricultural land

49.5% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 11.4% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 1.4% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 36.7% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

urban population

29.5% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization

4.09% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Methane emissions

other

32.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste

127.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)

energy

334.4 kt (2022-2024 est.)

agriculture

1,241 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

5.595 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

19.9% (2022 est.)

Environmental issues

water contamination stemming from urban and industrial discharges and from the application of pesticides and fertilizers; flooding; proliferation of water hyacinth in Lake Victoria; deforestation; soil degradation; desertification; illegal hunting

Total water withdrawal

municipal

495 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

303 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural

3.234 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

total emissions

19.023 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke

3.316 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

15.707 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

12.7 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

30.7 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

International environmental agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements