Exploitation of Natural Resources and International Environmental Policies: the Case of Arabuko Sokoke Forest Kilifi, Kenya

Abstract

Abundance of natural resources for any country is considered a blessing. This is because natural resources are economic drivers. However exploitation of these resources come with their challenges. More often than not, exploitation of these resources results in conflict either violent or structural. While exploitation of natural resources is a domestic affair, its effects are felt globally, be it international trade or international environmental governance. It is the latter that informs this dissertation. Focus is shifting towards, global environmental governance in the context of international relations. And central to that focus is how exploitation of natural resources interacts with existing international environmental policies. This dissertations examines the links between these two phenomena and their impact in international relations. It goes further to examine the politics arising from these phenomena. The global North and South debate on environmental governance and sustainable development. Existing international environmental policies have pitted the developed countries against the developing, with the former arguing that overexploitation of natural resources will harm the environment. The latter on the hand, are dismissive of this argument, rather advocating for exploitation of natural resources in a bid to fuel economic growth. This dissertation also looks at how different developing states are handling the issues arising from the exploitation of natural resources and the environmental policies they have adopted. It closely examines the conflict arising from the discovery of oil and gas in the Arabuko Sokoke forest in Kilifi County, Kenya. Exploration for oil has been stopped after issues of environmental degradation were raised. Kenya finds itself in a similar dilemma faced by developing states, and has to chart its way, since discovery of oil was made in the country. Conceptual issues are very critical in analyzing the current affairs and to guide future discussions and frameworks. Emphasis is also placed on developing technology as a mitigation effort that further enables exploitation of natural resources with minimal distress to the environment.