Searching for Environmental Kuznets Curves of some basics in Africa

In this study, we investigated the relationship between per capita income and environmental degradation in Africa, using longitudinal data between 1990 and 2000. The specific objective was to estimate environmental Kuznets curves for two indicators of environmental quality, namely: lack of access to sanitation, and lack of access to safe water, and to establish whether the estimated relationships conform to the inverted U-shape hypothesis. The results of the empirical investigation generally suggest that evidence of an EKC for lack of access to sanitation is relatively weak. No concrete evidence was found to support the existence of an EKC for lack of access to safe water. The turning point levels of income established for the various indicators of environmental quality were however generally low. This suggests that African countries may be turning the corner of the environmental Kuznets curve, much faster, and at lower levels of income than expected. This also implies that African countries do not need to wait long for a high threshold per capital income for them to appreciate cleaner environment. Consequently, African countries should still keep up efficiency improvements in form of active policy intervention (and in the face of market failures) to prevent environmental degradation.