Environmental Resource Scarcity as a Source of Conflict in the Horn of Africa; a Case Study of the Mau Forest in Kenya
Abstract
This research endeavors to establish how environmental scarcity is connected to the conflicts in
the Horn of Africa. It is centered on three specific objectives, the first one is to identify the
causes of environmental resource scarcity related conflicts in the Horn of Africa and the second
one is to establishing the extent to which environmental diplomacy has been adopted in resolving
environmental related conflicts. The third objective looks at the effectiveness of the conflict
mitigation measures employed to manage the conflicts in the Horn of Africa as well as in the
Mau forest complex. This research is anchored on two theoretical models, environmental scarcity
model and the environmental diplomacy model. The environmental scarcity model is aligned to
Homer-Dixon’s book Environmental Scarcity and Violent Conflict: the case of Rwanda while
the environmental diplomacy model looks at how it has gained prominence due to adverse
environmental problems that befell the world in the recent past. The research targeted a sample
population of 30 interviewees that were drawn from forest management agencies, forest
enterprises, and households in study area. This study used both quantitative and Qualitative
analysis methods to assess and explain research objectives. The findings indicate that destruction
of the Mau forest is a threat to regional security because of the effects caused by the erratic
weather changes. Riparian countries that depend on water from the Mau forest are afraid that
they will be hit by water shortages if the destruction continues. The Kenyan economy has also
been affected through the tourism industry. Flamingoes are now moving to the neighboring
country due to insufficient food in the Kenyan lakes. It was also evident that sustaining the
restoration of the Mau complex, was dependent in the involvement of the local communities in
decision-making.
Publisher
University of Nairobi
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United StatesUsage Rights
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/Collections
- Faculty of Education (FEd) [5979]
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