Africa has been experiencing progressive environment deterioration in the past decades featuredby land degradation, surging of natural disasters, air and water pollution as well as loss of forest and wildlife, a report jointly launched by the UN and Africa has warned.
It warned the continent's prospects of fighting poverty and economic growth will be seriously undermined, unless urgent actionis taken.
"Africa has gone through a very rough and bumpy road in a her quest for sustainable development, and must now pursue a more realistic path that will ensure minimal adverse impacts on the natural resources base and the environment," said Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in launching the report here Thursday atthe opening ceremony of the ninth session of African Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEN).
The Africa Environment Outlook report (AEO), which has involvedhundreds of experts organized by the UN Environment Program (UNEP),assesses the state of environment in Africa over the past 30 yearsand presents different future scenarios of the continent that could result from different approaches to development.
Land is the critical resource and the basis for survival for most people in Africa. Agriculture contributes about 40 percent ofregional GDP and employs more than 60 percent of the labor force.
However, over the past three decades, unsustainable use of arable land coupled with climate variability have caused serious land degradation throughout Africa. Key issues include escalating soil erosion, declining fertility, salinization, soil compaction, desertification and pollution by agrochemicals, said the report.
East Africa is experiencing some of the most rapid land degradation rates in Africa.
The report estimates that two million hectares (ha) of Ethiopia's highlands have been degraded beyond rehabilitation, and additional 14 million ha severely degraded. In irrigated areas of Kenya, about 50 percent of the soils are affected by salt as a result of the poor management of irrigation. In Uganda, the proportion of degraded land ranges from 20 percent to 90 percent.
Freshwater availability and quality are the two most limiting factors to development in Africa, constraining food production andindustrial activities and contributing to the burden of diseases. The region possesses a mere nine percent of the world's fresh water supplies.
In the last 30 years, water availability has been threatened byincreased incidences of droughts, says the report, predicting thatin the next 20 to 30 years, 25 African countries will face water shortages due to advance of desert.
The quality of water supply has also been deteriorating in mostparts of the region. Wastewater from industrial and domestic sources is discharged in its raw state into watercourses and waterbodies.
There has been particular concern over groundwater pollution from nitrates and phosphates, says the report.
Forests in Africa which have vital economic, ecological and social values are also depleting at a high rate.
Between 1980 and 1995, the region lost 10.5 percent of its forest cover, which is reputed to be the highest depletion rate inthe world. In the decades between 1990 and 2000, Africa experienced the clearing of 50 million ha from its forest estate.
Consequently, there has been a decline in the per ha forest availability from 1.22 ha per person in 1980 to 0.74 ha per personin 1995, says the report, adding that the ongoing forest depletionespecially in west Africa has caused prolonged droughts.
Africa has some of the most species-rich areas in the world. These resources do not merely form the backbone of many countries'economy but are the main livelihood to millions of people in the region.
However, increasing population, deforestation, poaching, miningand inadequate enforcement of conservation law among others have resulted in significant loss of biodiversity.
A total of 126 animals species are recorded as now being extinct, with 2,018 threatened. Over 120 plants are now recorded as extinct with 1,771 threatened, says the report.
Africa's 40,000 kilometer-long coasts are also rich in diversity. However, 38 percent of the coastal ecosystems, such as mangrove swamps and coral reefs are under threat from pollution, building of ports and the growth of human settlements. Meanwhile, over harvesting of fish by local and foreign fleets is leading to a sharp decline in fish stocks.
Although Africa makes up only 3.2 percent of the world's total carbon dioxide emission that causes global warming, this region suffers the most from climate change, as people and economy in theregion are heavily dependent on rain-fed agriculture.
Records since 1900 show that Africa's annual rainfall has been decreasing since 1968 as a result of global warming, and natural disasters such as droughts and floods have become more common and severe, taking a heavy toll on the continent.
To combat environment deterioration, African countries have taken many actions and initiatives, and the most recent and important one is the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), which aims to address the root cause of environment deterioration, poverty, and put the continent on a path of sustainable development.
NEPAD has launched an environment initiative and its programs of action are being discussed at the on-going AMCEN meeting from Thursday to Friday.
"It is clear that poverty is inextricably linked to the environment and action to protect and care for the environment must be taken. Otherwise, the poison of poverty will continue to plague the continent," said UNEP Executive Director Klaus Toepfer,who is here to attend the AMCEN meeting.
He called on developed countries to cut Africa's debt burden, increase their official development aid and open markets for African products to help the continent develop in a sustained manner.
There is a more supportive mood in the international community to overcome Africa's difficulties. There is a new resolve among African nations to cooperate in achieving an environment-friendly future, he noted.
"I urge countries across the world to take the findings from the AEO and finally seize the opportunity to deliver responsible prosperity to this continent," he said.
(Xinhua News Agency July 5, 2002)
