Abstract

Jane Kabubo-Mariara, Vincent Linderhof, Gideon Kruseman, Rosemary Atieno and Germano Mwabu

This paper investigated the impact of investment in soil and water conservation strategies and tenure security
on household welfare in Kenya. The paper used survey data collected from a sample of about 450 households in
2004. The paper estimated reduced form models to test the hypothesis that investments in soil and water
conservation affect household welfare. The results showed that strong land rights are directly related to
household welfare when welfare is measured through livestock wealth but not when measured through
expenditures and incomes. We also found that the number of conservation structures in place and the
willingness to invest are important determinants of household welfare. Further, presence and membership in
village institutions, soil quality and topography are important determinants of household welfare. The impact of
soil and water conservation as well as agro-ecological potential on household welfare suggests the existence of
a poverty-environment link. The results call for policies that improve environmental conservation and
strengthen land tenure security in order to alleviate household poverty.