Local Environmental Change and Society in Africa

This title is printed to order. This book may have been self-published. If so, we cannot guarantee the quality of the content. In the main most books will have gone through the editing process however some may not. We therefore suggest that you be aware of this before ordering this book. If in doubt check either the author or publisher’s details as we are unable to accept any returns unless they are faulty. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Social and natural scientists are currently obsessed with globalization, but this has not been matched by an equal interest in the societal consequences of local environmental change. Attention has thus been withdrawn from community and locality and transferred to global processes, with an indifference to the reality of those at the receiving end of the social, economic and political problems that globalization create. Local reality is obscured and conditions are imposed that are often insensitive to or even distort local needs, resource management, and production systems.

The case studies presented here illustrate how environmental degradation has contributed to the distortion of local institutions and economies, thus denying local communities the right to live in a productive and healthy environment. The contributors highlight the seriousness of the difficulties involved in conflating national policies and local reality, and imposing global policy instruments on local communities.

Understandably, the case studies demonstrate that local communities resist putting their faith in environmental policies and plans imposed on them by global or national institutions that often deprive them of access to and control over their local environment.