African Savannas

Global Narratives and Local Knowledge of Environmental Change

Donald Crummey author Donald Crummey editor Thomas J Bassett editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:James Currey

Published:20th Mar '03

Should be back in stock very soon

African Savannas cover

This work outlines the importance of local knowledge for understanding environmental change. African farmers and herders modify landscapes in far more subtle and unexpected ways than commonly depicted in environment and development debates. This interdisciplinary collection uses collaborative research from the major savanna regions which stretch across Africa to make its case, and covers topics such as land users and landscapes, pastoral ecologies and policy, producers and resources. Environmental thinking about Africa is dominated by narratives of degradation and chaos. The contributors demonstrate that the empirical foundations of such long-held views are shaky at best.

... African farmers appear as 'knowedgeable and responsible environmental managers, as actors rather than victims' .... the pragmatic focus on policy and on mis-conceptions of policy-makers, is both sound and useful... - -- Gregory Maddox * JOURNAL OF AFRICAN HISTORY *
...students of African environmental change will find in this book richly detailed local studies that engage with broad debates... - -- Monica van Beusekom * AFRICAN STUDIES REVIEW *
A very readable and nicely presented volume... the case studies detail much needed empirical work towards understanding the events and processes that lead to landscape change at the local and regional level. * LUCAS BULLETIN *

ISBN: 9780852554241

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 434g

288 pages