dc.description.abstract | This study examines the resolution of environmental conflicts through
mediation in Kenya. Kenya has experienced many environmental conflicts over the
use, access to and management of natural resources such as land, water and forests.
The mechanisms that so far have been used to resolve these conflicts have only ended
up postponing the dealing with causes of the conflicts and led to animosity between
parties to the conflicts.
Environmental conflicts and struggles relating resource use have defined the
better part of the history of Kenyan communities. These conflicts have been caused by
a number of variables including, scarcity of grazing lands, socio-cultural factors,
economic and political marginalization of rangelands which leaves out the people
living in the rangelands out of the natural resource sharing agenda. They have also
been brought about by unresponsive policies and bad governance of the environment
and the diminishing role of traditional conflict resolution mechanisms. Environmental
vagaries such as drought, narrow livelihood base and the emerging acts of illegal
environmental resource utilisation like log felling have also contributed to the
conflicts.' Generally therefore, environmental conflicts occur over issues of access
and management of natural resources which are used by people in their daily lives. | en |