Countering the impacts of environmental degradation on human security; a case study of Kibera slums, Nairobi Kenya.

Abstract

Environmental degradation is a phenomenon that has been a global issue for the longest time possible. It has impacted every aspect of life, be it human or animal, political, economic and even social life. Environmental degradation has been used in ages in some religions to depict signs of end times or Gods punishment to wrong doers. However, it‘s impossible to assume that most causes of environmental degradation are man made while others occur as a result of mother nature‘s wrath. Security has had multiple definitions with the major one being the state as the main aspect for protection against internal and most importantly external threats. However, over the years the concept of security has been contested with the evolution of what security truly entails with security as a core value of human life. To be secure is to be protected from any danger or fears. Most of these fears and threats are from the impacts of environmental degradation that threaten human existence. Environmental degradation has also been a rising challenge in Kenya and this research project is meant to outline the impacts of environmental degradation on human security with a core focus on a slum called Kibera situated in the capital city of Kenya (Nairobi) and the policies put in place to curb these impacts in a bid to preserve the future of human life in the country. Drawing on material written this research shows the major causes of environmental degradation in Kenya, those that are man made and those that are as a result of human activities despite their nature being not human. In essence we show the relation between environmental degradation and human insecurity in slum areas. The data used has already been collected by different authors and journalists. By the end of this research, the knowledge acquired is meant to give future generations a perspective of the root causes of environmental degradation and how the quality of life is affected by this and possibly to play a role during policymaking to protect the environment and life.