High growth : Kenya

Question 1

Define population growth rate.

Answer 1

• BR - DR + net migration

- Tells us how much the population changes over one year, including the migration rate.

Question 2

Define natural population growth rate.

Answer 2

• BR - DR

- Tells us how much the population changes over one year, not taking into account the migration rate.

Question 3

Causes of high population growth :

1) High birth rates

Answer 3

• Lack of family planning. 46% use some kind of family planning, and over half don’t consider when to have children
• High fertility rate : 5.5 per woman
• High rates of teenage pregnancy. 18% of 15-19 girls are pregnant, or have given birth. 13,000 girls leave school early due to teenage pregnancy. This is caused by lack of access + education about contraception, and caused by the government not introducing sexual education in schools.
• The poorest have the most children, because children are needed for casual labour and to work on farms.
• Patriarchal societies where men hold the most power. Men are the main decision makers, and don’t allow women to use contraception

Question 4

Consequences of high population growth :

1) Poverty, teenage pregnancy

Answer 4

• People living in alarming levels of poverty - 17.9 million live below the poverty line. In 1989, 59% lived in poverty.
• High levels of teenage pregnancy. 13,000 drop out of school. Most don’t return due to cost, social stigma, afraid to ask for help, cost of buying resources, and women needing to care for kids. Not finishing her education means that it greatly reduces their earning potential, and therefore lower their standard of living for the future

Question 5

Consequences of high population growth :
2) Youthful population, negative impact on economic
development

Answer 5

• Youthful population. 40% of the Kenyan population are under age 15. Less people in the workforce, and leading to a high cost for the government to provide for them.
• Negative impact on Kenya’s economic development. In the 1970s, Kenya and South Korea was at the same level of economic development. South Korea managed to lower their birth rate, raise living standards and invest in economic growth. Kenya has not managed to lower the birth rate and therefore the government has had less money to invest in other areas

Question 6

Consequences of high population growth :

3) Lack of resources

Answer 6

• Water is in short supply. It’s caused by droughts, and high temperatures increases evaporation rates from surface water and low precipitation and therefore cause low fresh water supplies. Combined with increased demands leads to water shortage.
• Lack of food. Less fertile land due to lack of rainfall. Combined with increased demands leads to food shortages. Food prices increase as resources are low and demand increases. Slow economy means less money to import and improve food supplies
• Land prices increase. Due to demand for housing, space and agriculture. In Kiboko, a suburb of Nairobi, house prices have increased by 25% in the last 5 years. As a result, slum settlements have developed
  Kibera ( the biggest slum in the world on the outskirts of Nairobi ).

Question 7

Solutions to high population growth :

Answer 7

The Pick Me Up program - designed to get teenage mothers back into school to complete their education. Such teenage mothers face stigma + poverty, and can’t afford resources needed for school