Water as a Source of Natural Resource-based Conflict in the Mau Complex,1995-2009

Abstract

This study provides an overview of the Mau Complex, its natural resources and how the depletion of its catchment facility has caused conflict in the region since 1995-2009. It examines the interrogates the actions of different stakeholder and indigenous communities in terms of the management of the resources and the use of the resources and how these actions have caused violent conflict in the Mau regions.

Through this, the study explores linkages between natural resources and conflict zeroing in on the destruction of the water catchment facility of the forest and the consequent water stress has caused violent conflict. This study has significantly attempted to link the dependency of water to forests and vice versa erasing any doubts on how loss offorest cover affects a country's water availability and weather patterns.

The study answer questions on how the unsustainable use of the Mau Complex as far back as the pre-colonial period to 2009 all lead to a diminished forest cover, which in tum caused water scarcity in the catchment area and beyond. The theoretical framework is from the hypothesis by Gleick that water scarcity compounded by structural violence will cause violent conflict. Both primary and secondary data is used in this research. The study argues that mismanagement of the Mau Complex Catchment facility has caused intrastate conflict in the area and may be a source of transboundary conflict if proper all inclusive restoration is not implemented in the forest.