Environmental Degradation in Kenya as a Cause of Political Conflict, Social Stress, and Ethnic Tensions

(Includes a bibliography of published sources)

Author(s): Christoph I. Lang
Editor(s): Günter Bächler, Kurt R. Spillmann
Series: CSS Environment and Conflicts Project
Volume: 12
Issue: 1
Publisher(s): ENCOP is an international project on violence and conflicts caused by environmental degradation. © 1995 Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich
Publication Year: 1995

This paper examines the causes and consequences of environmental degradation in Kenya. The country is presented as a unique case in East Africa: its historic background, geography, and ethnic composition make it a microcosm of the region. Although the wealthiest state in the region, Kenya is poor by absolute standards. Economic decline has been accompanied by a rise in civil strife that is often blamed on political and ethnic rivalries. However, the author identifies the connection between these clashes and Kenya's environmental degradation and highlights the need to eliminate the causes of environmental degradation.

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