Governing Landscapes through Partnerships: Lessons from Amboseli, Kenya

Samenvatting (Engelstalig):

This study focused on the Amboseli landscape in Kenya which has over the years experienced continual conservation and development challenges due to changes in land tenure triggering other problems such as land-use change and Human-wildlife conflicts. To mitigate these challenges, various policy interventions mostly in the form of partnership, arrangements have been initiated. This study analysed two such partnerships, the Amboseli Ecosystem Trust and the Big Life Foundation to understand how such partnerships contribute to the governance of the landscape.  

Results show that both partnerships have contributed to governing the Amboseli landscape through the development and implementation of policies that have addressed some of the challenges. However, governance through partnerships demonstrates an intricate power struggle and politics steered by stakeholders’ understanding of the landscape and interests.

This study offers practical lessons for other landscapes in Kenya and Sub-Saharan Africa to learn from and acts as a basis for future research.