| Since the end of the cold war, the concept of human security has been at the center of in the global development discourse. Indeed, the end of the cold war ushered in global awareness of non-military threats to human welfare. In several reports, the United Nations has since then taken the lead in promoting the idea of human security in terms of non-military threats. For example, in the Millennium Report to the United Nations General Assembly, Kofi Anan, the then UN Secretary General addressed three pillars of Human Security: freedom from want, freedom from fear and freedom of future generations to sustain their lives on this planet. He noted these as grand challenges facing international community in the 21st century. These issues are not new as they have been a source of concern within the international community for several years. The third one, especially, has gained increased attention during the last three decades. The concern has been whether humanity is utilizing environmental resources in a sustainable manner.;Nowhere in the globe are these concerns greater than in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The region has not only experienced stalled development since the 1960s, but also experiences extreme levels of poverty, rapid environmental degradation and high population growth. These issues have been blamed for the underdevelopment and poverty in the region. However, international factors beyond the control of the region continue to influence its economic, political and social structures.;This study examines the impact of environmental factors with a focus on biophysical factors on Human Security in the Horn of Africa. Poverty, population growth and environmental degradation are closely associated with governance. As such, the study assesses the role of governance and institutions, and external factors as root causes of human insecurity in the region. It concludes that human insecurity in the Horn of Africa is caused by a combination of globalization, weak governance and environmental degradation. Addressing these issues requires a combination of strong institutions for policy formulation and enforcement as well as strategic policies for reducing vulnerability to environmental shocks. The study assesses the existing policies on resource management, access and rights in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia as case studies. |
