Role of Regional Institutions on Environmental Governance in the Horn of Africa : Critical Case Analysis of AU and IGAD 

In the Horn of Africa, the regional institution faces challenges on environmental governance due to lack of coordination and weak cooperation, and insufficient resources. Regional institutions influence the effectiveness of policy instruments to strengthen regional environmental governance. In the region, the environmental governance structural challenges lead to inefficient working practices and inefficient institutions. Moreover, environmental challenges have attracted the attention of the institutions due to the fact that environmental issues are global in nature. The absence of technology tools to control environmental pollution is a major problem for institutions. Cross-border environmental factors are still challenging the institutional interactions. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate institutional trends and effectiveness on resolving the environmental governance issues. The study applied qualitative research techniques and used secondary data. To take a critical look at environmental governance, the study examined at two regional institutions, the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and provided a thorough and critical review of policy coordination, interaction and institutional collaboration. The member states of the IGAD need to work together to establish an institutional framework. The findings of the study show that institutional efforts are less effective in addressing the environmental governance. The institutional structure is highly fragmented and contributes little to the environmental cooperation.