NGE 402: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION 1

The Components of the Total Environment

Figure 1: Various Components of the Environment.

GEOPHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT

 Atmosphere  Flora
 Hydrosphere  Fauna
 Lithosphere  Microbes

SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT

Cultural Economic Built Political

Customs Systems Infrastructure Governance
Beliefs Institutional Building Law and Policy
Institutional Economics Machinery Leadership
Aesthetic Labour Technology Management
Traditions Income Development Political Systems
Religion Employment Science
Population Architecture
Planning

Note: All these components interact.

Nelly Juma: Maseno University School of Arts and Social Sciences

2021
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Biological Component of Environment

Biological component comprises all living organisms that including plants (flora), animals
(fauna) and micro-organisms or bacteria and viruses and their surroundings. Their
surroundings consist of both the living and the non-living components of the environment
essential to the life and production of the species in the area in which it lives.

Human beings are categorised as animals and are known to have the greatest interference
on the environment more than any other organisms and things that make up the different
components of the environment. The biological component of environment is also known
as the ecosphere, biosphere or ecological component that in turn comprises of biotic and
abiotic factors.

The biological component of environment yields a variety of resources in accelerating

sustainable development and improving the quality of the environment. These resources
include vegetation of different types such as, herbs, shrubs, and trees found in different
ecosystems and fauna of diverse species found in the same ecosystems. Plants are the
primary producers of food, which animals depend on for survival. Plants derive the energy
from the sun to produce the food via the photosynthetic process. Animals then feed on the
plants directly or indirectly to obtain the energy that makes, them stay alive. A simple food
chain and food web provides good illustrations of the mechanism involved.

The biological resources used by humans include; forests, fisheries, wildlife, livestock,
agricultural crops (cash and food), medicinal plants and animals, birds, reptiles,
amphibians etc. note that frogs, snails, crocodiles, mushrooms for example are used as
delicacies by some communities. The microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi) are
important biological resources because they cause diseases to animals and plants and
decomposition of dead organic matter.

Human populations in each country all over the world are considered to be one type of
biological resource. Like all other resources, human populations need to be considered and
included in the development plans, policies, programs and projects and environmental
action plans and policies. It is therefore necessary, to periodically carry out human
population census (in Kenya after every 10 years) to update the existing information
records. Census of other biological resources such as for wildlife, forests, fisheries and
birds of individual species is done from time to time to update the existing data records.

Biological resources also called biodiversity, are natural resources found in each country as
natural heritage. This means that these resources have been there since the creation of that
country and have been passed over from one generation to the next throughout the history
of the world. It is worth noting that some of these resources are mobile while others are
immobile. Those that can move are able and capable of crossing the inter-country
boundaries. For example, humans, livestock, birds and wildlife (especially wild game) are
considered to be trans-boundary resources in many ecosystems all over the world.

Nelly Juma: Maseno University School of Arts and Social Sciences

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Importance of Biological component and Resources of the Environment

Why is it necessary or significant to manage the biological component of the environment?
Some of the leading reasons for managing the biological component of the environment are
given as:

 It sustains life on the earth. If the biological component and resources are
destroyed, life i.e., all biodiversity resources on planet earth will cease to exist and
the earth will be like some other planets such as Venus and Mars that are without
life systems or living organisms.
 Conservation of resource diversity is vital because some of the species would
become extinct, endangered and or threatened due to changes caused both by
natural and human interventions such as climatic changes, over-use and misuse of
these resources including, vegetation/forests, fisheries and wildlife.

 To earn foreign exchange from the tourism industry, which is mainly supported and
is based on the biological component and resources of the environment. The foreign
exchange money is in turn used to support sustainable development activities in
other sectors. Improved sustainable development eventually contributes to reduced
poverty levels and improved livelihoods in the society. Depletion of biodiversity,
especially the wildlife game resources such as elephants, lions, buffaloes, giraffes,
and rhinos impact negatively on tourism industry, leading to reduced foreign
exchange earnings and less money available for development activities.
 To contribute significantly towards sustaining and regulating the local, national,
regional and global climatic conditions. This in turn raises poverty levels and lowers
the affected people’s livelihoods, economy and sustainable development process.
 To provide most of the resources used by humans for the establishment and
development of the built environment, economy, culture, food, security, social and
political activities. For example, plant products or materials are used for building
and construction of houses, for food, money, energy, making medicines, and clothing
and for ornamental purposes in urban and rural environments. Animal materials
are used for food, money, labor, security, transport and aesthetic reasons (as
puppets), tourism, clothing and foot wear.

The Economic Component of Environment

The economy and its growth are supported by and depends on the environmental
resources found in that country. The word environmental resources is used synonymously
with natural resources, which include land, soil, plants, animals, water, air and micro-
organisms. These resources in turn are the basis on which the key major sectors of
development are founded. These sectors include agriculture, industry and commerce,
building and construction, transport, communication, education, health, labour and human
resources, sports, athletics, recreation, tourism, culture and social services among others.
Following immediately below is an illustration of how the economy is supported by natural
resources.

Nelly Juma: Maseno University School of Arts and Social Sciences

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The agricultural sector for example is supported by the following resources: land, water,
air, plants and animals, soils and micro-organisms, labour and human resources, education
especially in terms of research, and training in science and technology, industry and
commerce to deal with buying, selling and processing of goods, processing of goods,
produce and or products. The agricultural sector is engaged in producing the food either in
form of plant or animal materials that the human population of the country depends on.
The surplus food and cash crops such as tea, coffee and sugar among others are usually
exported to other countries where there is demand and supply thus earning Kenya some
money in foreign exchange.

The agricultural sector is also one of the major sources of employment for the unemployed
people in the country, especially in rural areas. They derive their livelihoods from
agriculture and about 78% of labour force is directly in agricultural production.
Agriculture, heavily depends on soils, land, climate and water (hydrology) resources,
among others. Kenya is characterized by wide variations in all these natural resources in
cropping patterns and farming systems.

Tourists are also interested in the cultural, social, economic and political resources and
components of Kenya when they visit; all which constitute the total environment. The
tourist industry contributes directly and indirectly in supporting and sustaining the
expenditure of other sectors in the economy such as transportation, communication,
hospitality, health, education, commerce and industry among others.

Given the importance of tourism, it is worth noting that the sector’s contribution to
economic development, whether in terms of foreign exchange earnings or income and
employment generation, totally depends on the environment and natural resources
(Sinclair et al, 1992). If the country’s environment and natural resources are abused,
misused, mismanaged and thereby degraded and depleted, the economy of the country
possibly also goes down and performs poorly due to lack of or limited resources, unless
subsidized by imports. It is important that the country’s environment and natural
resources are conserved and utilized sustainably for long-term intra and intergenerational
economic development prosperity.

The global economic and international trading system has its foundation on the
environmental goods and services such as food, raw materials, semi-processed
commodities, variety of services and exportation and importation activities. The world
economy is therefore sustained by the environment and natural resource. This implies
that the environment and the economy are linked and inseparable. Success or failure of
one is affects the other directly or indirectly.

Nelly Juma: Maseno University School of Arts and Social Sciences

2021
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The world economy is categorized into three groups of countries, namely: -

 The developed countries which have the best performing economies – wealth or
rich nations.
 The countries in transition, those which have developing economies on the verge of
being developed
 The developing countries are those nations which have the least developed
economies. These are also known as least developed countries or poor countries.
For example African and some Asian countries, LDCs are also known as the Third
World countries, whereas the MDCs are known as First World countries.

The Cultural Component of Environment

The cultural environment is that component that portrays the tradition, beliefs and social
practices of a people. It encompasses among other things: religion, health, education and
transfer of knowledge from one generation to another. It involves ethics and values,
policies and legal set ups that regulate the establishment and utilization of environmental
resources. Culture also influences preservation, conservation and sustainability of natural
resources such as plants, animals (especially wildlife), land, water, soil and air.

Many African communities for example make some environmental resources to be their
sacred places or places of worship. A good example of this practice is found among the
Mijikenda communities of the coast in Kenya which consider Kaya forests as sacred
ecosystems for religious reasons. The Giriama’s and Digo’s people for example, conserve
and sustain the forests as sacred forests where they go to pray, worship and carry out
other religious activities. Any attempt to destroy the forest ecosystems at the coast of
Kenya is met with resistance by such communities.

Many farming systems worldwide of both crops and livestock are based and operated on
cultural values and traditions and hence utilize the cultural components of environment.
Let us look at some examples from among African communities and environments to
illustrate this point.

The Maasai, Turkana, Pokot and Samburu communities of Kenya for instance, are
predominantly paternalists. The principal natural resource-based management of these
communities is mobility. All these four communities are nomadic, that is, they move in
relation to environmental conditions of forage and water availability and to a lesser extent
to social factors (Barrow, 1996). Livestock is also kept for other cultural reasons such as
for paying dowry in the event of marriage taking place. Livestock has other cultural values
of giving prestige, and social status in society for individuals with large numbers of cows,
sheep, goats and camels.

Ownership of livestock is also a sign of wealth. And the higher the number of livestock the
better the social status. The individuals without or with few livestock are considered poor

Nelly Juma: Maseno University School of Arts and Social Sciences

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and of low status in the society. Livestock in these communities are used for food, selling
to meet financial needs and for sacrifices during religious rituals and ceremonies. These
communities also use cultural norms in managing vegetation, water, land and soil
resources. Examples of important cultural or traditional values of knowledge in pastoral
societies include :
 Species for food for people and livestock
 Traditional land management systems and land tenure
 Reserved grazing systems
 Livestock herding and breeding
 People/livestock disease control
 Traditional water and salt points
 Traditional rain makers
 Vegetation especially tree, values, management and utilization
 Traditional medicinal plants, values and practices
 Religious practices in ecosystems considered sacred

The application of these cultural values is geared to quality environment and sustainable
development by the societies concerned. Research in indigenous and or traditional
knowledge has been enhanced in environmental sciences in the recent years, because it
constitutes the cultural component of the total environment.

Challenges related to the utilization of environmental and development resources available

to the pastoral or nomadic communities exist. One of the key challenges found in those
communities is conflict caused by the demand on the resources. These resources in most
cases are limited and their continuous use involves inherent competition by different
communities for water, grazing areas, fertile lands for crop cultivation, agriculture and
resources that promote development activities in various sectors.

Other causes of conflicts in pastoral communities include the following: -

 Livestock raids
 Retaliation, after livestock raids and related issues
 Clan and ethnic hostilities
 Competition for political power
 Competition for grazing areas, pastures and watering points
 Marginalization in development activities such as schools, hospitals and road network
 Illegal acquisition and proliferation of guns or arms from the neighbouring districts
and countries such as Uganda, Ethiopia, Somali and Sudan with intention of using the
arms to defend themselves and their livestock.

Possible solutions to the conflicts in pastoral communities

There is need to consider is how these can be best handled. A few suggestions are offered
below:

Nelly Juma: Maseno University School of Arts and Social Sciences

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 Providing each of the communities with sufficient resources and pasture

 Equitable distribution and provision of development projects or resources in each
district or constituency such as schools, hospitals and infrastructure (road network,
urban areas).
 Increase/promote public consultation, involvement and participation of the local
communities in development driven peace initiatives.
 Withdraw guns from/disarm the communities with guns and other illegal weapons.
 Provide sufficient security and safety measures to these communities.
 Carry out environmental assessment studies so as to promote relevant policies,
plans, programs and projects for sustainable development.

What other measures do you think could help to minimize conflicts in resource-scarce
areas?

Political Component of Environment

Political component of environment is that component which is involved in decision-
making and governance systems which influence the development, management and
utilization of environmental and natural resources in society. The political environmental
component consists of elected leaders and the public who elect them. The leaders are
expected to provide guidance on the best practices and procedures for managing
environmental resources and development activities.

The Significance and Role of the Political Component of Environment in Resources

Management

Political decisions influence environmental policy in various ways:

 To make policy, law and constitution which promote good or bad governance of
quality environment and development of resources in the community so as to
facilitate social conflict revolutionary scenarios in the use of natural resources.

 To make decisions which guide and lead the people in the community into the best
practices for quality environmental conservation, sustainable development and
poverty elimination.

 To work with communities to development work plans for environmental

protection, rehabilitation, conservation and sustainability.

 To review the current institutional arrangements of natural/environmental

management and design a new and more effective coordinated institutional
structure.

Nelly Juma: Maseno University School of Arts and Social Sciences

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 To endeavour to educate local communities to understand and raise level of

awareness that they are the immediate losers, when environmental resources are
destroyed and degrades (such as deforestation), in that they suffer from loss of
reliable rainfall and water supply and also loss of fertile topsoil and the associated
high production of agricultural goods and services.

 To promote public participation and involvement in matters of quality

environmental management and sustainable development process, as the
community members are key stakeholders of environmental resources.

 Support research, science and technology on natural resources with the aim of
developing appropriate science and technologies and management systems
 Design a formal policy based on partnership with communities to ensure
sustainable management of natural resources and protection of areas with
biodiversity which require preservation, conservation and sustainability.

 Generate and disseminate water and energy resources and encourage time saving
technologies to serve two critical purposes of reducing the amount of wood fuel and
increasing the amount of water used at household level and saving some of the time
that rural women spend in search of energy (wood fuel) and water resources.

 To promote democracy and empowerment environmental governance and

management.

What constitutes the political components of environment?

i) The Central Government – President, Vice-President, Ministers and Assistant

Ministers.

ii) The Parliament and or National Assembly members of parliament and the
speaker.

iii) The Local Government system, which is made of the urban councils and country
councils e.g. mayors, council chairperson and councilors.

iv) Traditional leadership systems which are made of elected and or approved
community based leaders, such as village elders, cultural/religious leaders,
royal chieftains and kingdoms.

v) Political party systems which might be single party or multi-party systems and
vary from one country to another.

Nelly Juma: Maseno University School of Arts and Social Sciences

2021