Environment and Sustainable Development A Guide for Higher Education in Kenya

Abstract

Over the last five decades the world has witnessed a number of significant and unprecedented environmental problems on scales not witnessed before, such as environmental deqradation and pollution, loss of biodiversity, 'global warming and climate. Emerging environmental problems like HIV/AIDS poverty, and invasive species (for example water weeds in inland water bodies) pose a real challenge to economic development and sustainable living in poor countries. The most disturbing fact about environmental problems is that they are mainly human-caused. These problems are exemplified by increased pollution in all forms, wanton destruction of forests, depletion of the ozone layer, global warming, disposal of toxic wastes and garbage, extinction of numerous species of both flora and fauna, among others. These problems are attributed to many causes, such as technology, poverty, poor governance, and civil wars among others. Whatever the specific cause, these problems herein collectively referred to as 'environmental crisis' are intricately connected and have implications of up to global proportions on development.