Understanding environments: nature, knowledge production, and development practice in Northern Kenya

This project is a historical investigation of the way nature has affected government policies, development ideologies and practices, and the perceptions of ordinary people in Northern Kenya. That is, how do natural phenomena, such as drought, floods, natural resource scarcity, a changing climate, and biodiversity decline, affect the way people think about society and its trajectories?

In a time where climate crisis and biodiversity decline are at the top of development agendas and high politics across the globe, we need to be much more aware of how nature has shaped the ideologies and actions of governments and development organizations. Nowhere is this more prevalent than in northern Kenya, where Mads Yding’s research show that nature and the environment have shaped policy and development ideology for decades.