Keynote by Marcel Rutten about Kenya's pastoralists, at CELEP's Annual Meeting

ASCL senior researcher Marcel Rutten will deliver the keynote at the 7th Annual CELEP meeting to be held at International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) in London on 5-7 October. Title of Marcel Rutten's lecture: “The Land-Water Nexus in Semi-Arid Kenya – How Kenya’s pastoralists lose land and see their water resources depleted as a result of horticulture, biofuel and conservation initiatives". CELEP is the Coalition of European Lobbies for Eastern African Pastoralism, of which the African Studies Centre Leiden is a member. 

Abstract of the keynote
The impact of land-tenure changes and subsequent outside investment in horticulture, tourism and biofuels by both local and foreign entrepreneurs in Kenya’s drylands has been documented in many studies. Lessons learned from these studies indicate that local African communities face an uphill battle to safeguard ownership of land and water in an age of globalization. Policymakers therefore need to understand that providing funds to establish a land titles register is not sufficient and funding should also be allocated to discussions concerning the consequences of the proposed new land-tenure setting. As long as this isn’t happening, the introduction of formal property rights will not be able to act as a panacea for wealth creation in the arid and semi-arid lands.

More info on the Annual Meeting.