rwanda: Population Growth, Environmental Destruction, and Genocide

In Rwanda in 1994, rapid population growth and extreme environmental degradation were closely linked to the outbreak of genocidal violence, reports James Gasana in an article in the September/October issue of World Watch magazine. Gasana was Rwanda's Minister of Agriculture and Environment in 1990-92, and Minister of Defense in 1992-93. While serving in the government, he collected statistics, which show that the conflict had much more complex roots than just deep ethnic hatred.