Climate Change Fueling Conflicts and Banditry in Northen Kenya: Can Blue Economy Concept be a remedy?
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Keywords
Résumé
Climate change is creating unparalleled global challenges, disrupting ecosystems, threatening livelihoods, and intensifying existing vulnerabilities. In Northern Kenya, a region dominated by arid and semi-arid landscapes, rising conflicts and banditry have been linked to dwindling resources driven by climate-related pressures. The ongoing longstanding tensions between herders and landowners have led to increasingly organized and violent attacks, heightening intercommunal tensions. This study examined the nexus between climate change and the surge in conflicts and banditry in Northern Kenya, emphasizing the need for innovative and sustainable solutions. Data for this review was obtained from Google Scholar, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, JSTOR, Semantic Scholar, Research Gate, Academia, Scopus and Crossref references and citation-enhanced indexing databases. Thematic analysis of publications between 2004 and 2024 was conducted to assess how climate change is exacerbating ongoing conflicts banditry in Northen Kenya. The findings indicated a link between the rise in persistent banditry in Northern Kenya and the severity of climate-related factors such as prolonged droughts, extreme heat, livestock diseases, and food shortages. This worsening situation is compounded by historical marginalization, ethnic tensions, weak law enforcement, and the spread of illegal firearms from nearby regions. This escalation is further intensified by experiences of marginalization, ethnic rivalries, inadequate policing and influx of illicit arms from neighboring countries. As a potential remedy, the Blue Economy concept is a holistic approach emphasizes the sustainable utilization of aquatic resources, offering opportunities for economic diversification, employment generation and ecosystem preservation. Implementation of this concept involves adopting sustainable water management practices, including rainwater harvesting and watershed management, which can be leveraged for aquaculture. This shift can decrease reliance on livestock and small-scale rainfed agriculture, thereby reducing vulnerabilities. The National and local governments as well as donors should invest in infrastructure development, such as cold storage facilities, transportation networks and processing plants, to support the growth of Blue Economy activities. In addition, provide training programs and educational initiatives to equip local communities with the skills needed for sustainable resource management within the Blue Economy framework.
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