African political ecologies

Abstract

This review locates African political ecologies at the intersection of the broader fields of political ecology and African studies. It focuses on African ecological thought and practices in relation to environmental challenges in Africa. Methodologically, it eschews the sectoral approach to the study of African environments by drawing together three interrelated themes of African epistemologies, African agency, and socioecological debt. It treats these themes as the bedrock of African political ecologies that are crucial for engaging and resolving socioecological challenges on the continent and for governing the African commons. These foundational themes offer avenues for appreciating African epistemologies, experiences, and actions as well as the possibilities for context-specific environmental justice within the broader frame of reparation. The review concludes by delineating the scope and agenda for the African political ecologies crucial for broadening political ecological research and African studies.