Eroding the Commons: The Politics of Ecology in Baringo, Kenya, 1890s-1963

by David M. Anderson

Overview

Colonial Baringo was largely unnoticed until drought and localized famine in the mid-1920s led to claims that its crisis was brought on by overcrowding and livestock mismanagement. In response to the alarm over erosion, the state embarked on a program for rehabilitation, conservation, and development.

Eroding the Commons examines Baringo's efforts to contend with the problems of erosion and describes how they became a point of reference for similar programs in British Africa, especially as rural development began to encompass goals beyond economic growth and toward an accelerated transformation of African society. It provides an excellent focus for the investigation of the broader evolution of colonial ideologies and practices of development.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780821414798
Publisher:	Ohio University Press
Publication date:	01/15/2003
Series:	Ecology & History
Edition description:	1
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

David M. Anderson is a historian at St. Anthony's College, University of Oxford. He is the author of Eroding the Commons, co-editor of Revealing Prophets, and The Poor Are Not Us.

Editorial Reviews

The Eroding Commons helps to fill a gap in Kalenjin history, especially that of the Tugen in the twentieth century, which has received little scholarly attention to date. It is an invaluable resource for graduate students and specialists with an interst in land tenure, development, pastoralism, or East African ethnic groups.”—African Studies Review


“This book is a most important addition to the field of African history and related thematic fields of environmental history, political history, and (but to a lesser degree) the history of science. [It] is a brilliantly researched and written book … an ample demonstration of the value of local stories to illuminate global trends.”—James C. McCann, author of Green Land, Brown Land, Black Land

From the Publisher