Palaeoenvironmental perspectives for sustainable development in
East Africa 1York Institute for Tropical Ecosystem Dynamics
(KITE), Environment Department, University of York, Heslington,
York, YO10 5DD, UK 2Department of Environmental and Geographical
Science, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7700, South Africa
3Department of Earth Sciences, Palynology and Palaeobotany
Section, National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 40658, Nairobi,
00100, Kenya 4Tanzanian Wildlife Research Institute, P.O. Box
364, Arusha, Tanzania Abstract. East African ecosystems are
shaped by long-term interaction with changing climate, human
population, fire and wildlife. There remains today a strong
connection between people and ecosystems, a relationship that is
being strained by the rapidly developing and growing East
African population, and their associated resource needs.
Predicted climatic and atmospheric change will further impact on
ecosystems culminating in a host of challenges for their
management and sustainable development, f