The economies of many countries in Africa rely, to some extent, on natural resources available in the country. The countries of Kenya and Botswana are some of the countries that will be identified in this research paper. These countries have been involved in the production of various minerals including gold and diamonds among other natural resources. However, the control of these products have not always been the same across the countries as militia groups may take over due to unstable governance in the country. These conflicts over control over natural resources has usually resulted in the individuals acting in their own self interest and ignoring the common good for others. The following paper will compare and contrast the control of the natural resources found in Kenya and Botswana as seen with the way United States usually controls its own. Additionally, the current situation of these countries will be discussed as a means of identifying the possibility of a Tragedy of the commons taking place.
Comparison
In Kenya, the government maintains control of natural resources an important factor in establishing a fruitful and successful economy. These ideals have been set as a standard that minerals and other natural resources will be the standard ways of ensuring that the benefits of the resources are easily spread throughout the population. The government has actively been involved in ensuring that these natural resources are effectively protected. In Kenya, wildlife is the most important natural resource due to the revenue gained through tourism. The government organization KWS has increased its personnel and armed them with appropriate training in a bid to ensure they can effectively protect the wild animals from poachers. This is similar to the US where wild animals are an important natural resource. Though they may not be at the backbone of the country’s economy, the government has been active in the protection of wild animals particularly the rare ones that are close to extinction. The US has been in support of the global ban of elephant tusks that have been hunted down in countries like Kenya.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Botswana is one of the countries in Africa that is flourishing due to its trade in diamonds. The country has established that the minerals found in the country are the property of the state or part of the public domain. However, it is also evident that members of the country can act as private owners of these natural resources as they seek to participate in the development of the economy. This is similar to the United States where individuals have been able to own oil deposits despite the fact that the federal and state governments maintain ownership of all natural resources (Mankiw, 2015). There are a few private owners of natural resources who will usually receive leasing rights through their various corporations for the purpose of participating in the development of the country.
Both Botswana and Kenya have identified have relied on political stability as a means of ensuring the wealth of natural resources is not exploited. This is where members of the government have come up with effective strict policies that punish individuals seeking to harvest natural resources for personal benefit without permits from the government. Long term sentences are imposed on individuals who are found to have harvested diamonds in Botswana or Rhino horns in Kenya (African Bank 2007). This is similar to the US that has had a strict no corruption policy in regards to the rights maintained on various natural resources. The criminal justice system in the US is actively involved in the enforcement of property rights where purchasing rights to harvest various minerals is a significant process. This stable governance has ensured the success of harvesting natural resources in the country. Through the involvement of the government in the production of these natural resources like oil and gas, a monopoly is avoided to ensure prices remain affordable to the public but profits are still earned by the producers (Mankiw, 2015).
Contrast
In contrast to the United States, the control of natural resources in these African countries has significantly differed in terms of corruption. Corruption is one of the major factors that has derailed the development of the Kenyan economy. It is categorized as one of the most corrupt countries in Africa. This is corruption scandals will usually be carried out by the political leaders who have control of various land areas (African Bank 2007). The trees that are categorized as a natural resource have been cut down for the purpose of establishing real estates. The individuals in this country have received little or no punishment despite encroaching into the natural habitat of wild animals. In the US, the practice of deforestation has been identified as a major problem in the high level of global warming experienced in the world. As a result, the country has actively participated in the programs of international organizations such as United Nations and World Bank to ensure deforestation is curbed. The emissions from burning these cut trees is seen as harmful to both the human and animal life.
Botswana unlike the US has maintained dependence on the mining of diamonds as its main source of a booming economy. In 2011, Botswana produced 70% of the total exports in the country and as a result is vulnerable to fluctuations from the global demand. The country has depended mainly on luck in ensuring control of natural resources remains in the power of the government. According to the latest census the country is made up of a homogenous community reducing ethnic conflicts in the country. The Tswana tribe has provided traditions that have been used to implement policies in the control of property and natural resources rights (Chuhan-Pole et al., 2013b). The US on the other hand has had to rely on the policies in a bid to control the harvest of natural resources. In the past property owners had both surface and mineral rights. If one had the capital to harvest a mineral he or she would be free to do so. However, in the current times, states have established laws that will dictate the transfer of ownership of mineral rights and have been able to govern the activities of mining and drilling for resources like oil.
In contrast to the United States, the Kenyan government maintains control of wildlife as it is its major natural resource. The wild animals are identified as property of the state and as a result private ownership of wild animals is not recognized by law (Cilliers, 2013). The US on the other hand has recognized the private ownership of natural resources such as wild animals. Individuals who have the financial capability are able to acquire licenses to keep these wild animals in their homes as long as they are protected from the public.
Current Situation
The tragedy of the commons has been identified as the situation where within a shared-resource system individual users will usually act contrary to the common good of the rest of the users. In this case, the involved parties will actively be involved in the deterioration of the natural resources. The current situation of the various African countries has been identified as a major factor that could lead to the occurrence of a tragedy of the commons. This is evident in numerous African countries whereby the effects may roll over to the future generations. The countries in focus in this case are Kenya and Botswana. Both these countries are at risk of experiencing a tragedy of the commons.
In Kenya the wildlife is its most important natural resource. The country has had a major problem where wild animals have continually been killed by selfish individuals who seek to gain personal gain. For instance, the poaching of rhinos and elephants has taken place at high rates in the recent parts in a bid to sell their horns and tusks into the black market. This has led to the wild animals being identified as at risk due to the continued practice of these individual users. Despite a global ban on the sale of elephant tusks and horns from rhinos, the black market has significantly advocated the sale of these items for luxurious purposes. This has led the government to establish stiff rules and sentences against individuals caught taking part in this practice. The lack of these wild animals will affect future generations as tourism remains a major factor in the economy of Kenya.
There is also the issue of deforestation of the forested areas in Kenya. This is where numerous individuals have identified the reduced spaces of land for human settlement. This is particularly within the developed regions and forested areas have been cleared to make space for real estate development (Chuhan-Pole et al., 2013a). This has been a major issue as it is identified that the forested areas have been a natural habitat for the wild animals. Through the practice of deforestation, the wild animals are affected leading to multiple deaths. The future generations are affected as the extinction of these wild animals will deprive them of the beauty of nature.
In Botswana the country may be at risk of a tragedy of commons due to the continued globalization where numerous ethnic tribes enter into the country. The country has been one of the few countries in Africa not to experience the harsh effect of multiple tribes in the population (Cilliers, 2013). The Democratic Republic of Congo which also produces diamonds has been affected by these multiple ethnic communities with each seeking control over the production of the mineral. The occurrence of such a case may lead to consequences that will roll over to the future generations. The occurrence of conflicts between communities is an issue that has been witnessed by numerous African countries. Its major effect is multiple deaths that may take place due to the conflicts coming up. Additionally, the economy of the country will greatly be affected. The international organizations like UN have been able to trace minerals like diamonds from their source as it provides knowledge of whether they come from a place of conflict. Such minerals are referred to as ‘blood diamonds’ which are excluded from the market.
Conclusion
It is evident both Kenya and Botswana are some of the richest countries in Africa in terms of natural resources. Botswana has been able to set itself as the leading diamond producer in the world. Kenya on the other hand prides itself as the mother land of a wide variety of wildlife. The governments in both these countries have maintained control of the natural resources as a means of ensuring prosperity is experienced throughout the economy. Nonetheless, it is evident that poverty remains a bane in each of these societies. The countries faces numerous risks that could result in an experience of a tragedy of the commons. However, it is important to commend the political governance of these countries to ensure stability unlike many other countries rich in natural resources.
References
African Bank (2007) Africa’s Natural Resources: The Paradox of Plenty . Retrieved from http://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Publications/(E)%20AfricanBank%202007%20Ch4.pdf
Chuhan-Pole, P., Chirstiaensen, L., Angwafo, M., Buitano, M., Dennis, A., Korman, V. Sanoh, A. & Ye, X. (2013a) “An analysis of issues shaping Africa’s economic future.” African Pulse , 7, (April): 1-28. Retrieved from http://www.worldbank.org/content/dam/Worldbank/document/Africa/Report/Africas-Pulse-brochure_Vol7.pdf
Chuhan-Pole, P., Chirstiaensen, L., Angwafo, M., Buitano, M., Dennis, A., Korman, V. Sanoh, A. & Ye, X. (2013b) “An analysis of issues shaping Africa’s economic future.” African Pulse , 8, (October): 1-40. Retrieved from http://www.worldbank.org/content/dam/Worldbank/document/Africa/Report/Africas-Pulse-brochure_Vol8.pdf
Cilliers, J. (2013) Securing Africa's natural resources to avoid conflict . Institute for Security Studies, Online. Retrieved from https://www.issafrica.org/iss-today/securing-africas-natural-resources-to-avoid-conflict
Mankiw, N. G. (2015). Principles of Microeconomics (7thed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
