How Ecocentrism and Anthropocentrism Influence Human–Environment Relationships in a Kenyan Biodiversity Hotspot

Jana Rülke, Marco Rieckmann, Joslyn Muthio Nzau and Mike Teucher
Additional contact information
Jana Rülke: Economic Geography, Institute of Geography, School of Cultural Studies and Social Sciences, University of Osnabrueck, Seminarstr. 19 a/b, D-49074 Osnabrueck, Germany
Marco Rieckmann: Department of Education, Faculty of Education and Social Sciences, University of Vechta, Driverstraße 22, D-49377 Vechta, Germany
Joslyn Muthio Nzau: Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technical University Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, D-85354 Freising, Germany
Mike Teucher: Institute of Geoscience and Geography, Department of Geoecology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Seckendorff-Platz 4, D-06099 Halle (Saale), Germany

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 19, 1-23

Abstract: Protecting nature and securing human livelihood needs are very conflicting especially in biodiversity-rich areas of the Global South. The Taita Hills Cloud Forest (THCF) in Kenya remains one of the top biodiversity hotspots worldwide. Environmental data for the area has been studied for decades. Sociodemographic analyses on inequality have been conducted by governmental and non-governmental organizations. Little has been done yet to correlate them to investigate their relationships. A lot of attention has been paid to the connection between agricultural practices and impacts on the environment, but human–environment relationships are much more complex, especially in Kenya’s biodiversity-rich areas. This paper assesses the local population’s perception of its surrounding environment and investigates their understanding of nature conservation. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, 300 survey respondents were classified concerning their nature ethical views (particularly anthropocentrism and ecocentrism). By using grounded theory, data were regularly reviewed during the entire research, to assemble an evaluable and comparable dataset. Our study reveals that gender has a distinct impact on whether the interviewees have an anthropocentric or ecocentric perspective of nature and conservation. Moreover, there is a strong need for an intermediate bridge between anthropocentrism and ecocentrism.

Keywords: human–environment relationships; nature conservation; Taita Hills; biodiversity hotspot; ecocentrism; anthropocentrism; human–government conflicts (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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