African Environmental Issues - Minnesota State University ...

[Pages:14]African Environmental Issues

Environment in Africa: continuity & change.

? Important to consider geological age of Africa & its tropical location.

? Both affect environmental processes.

African soils are very old & largely leached of their nutrients.

Tropical climates mean high average annual temperatures.

ures/kling/rainforest/rainforest.html

Environment in Africa: continuity & change

? Africa is ancestral home to our species. ? Over centuries humans have adapted their

lives & activities to environment. ? Humans evolved to conform to their

environments & for greater part of their existence on earth have been constantly molded by their environments. ? Colonialism in Africa changed localized nature of regional economies & introduced new pressure from outside.

Main Environmental Issues:

? Deforestation ? Desertification ? Soil erosion & degradation ? Development & the environment ? can the

two be reconciled?

Deforestation

? Typically occurs when trees are cut down to provide firewood & timber as well as to free up space for crop cultivation.

? In case of Africa, rapid urbanization, drought, civil wars, oil & mineral extraction, & bush fires have also contributed.

? Major reason for deforestation in Africa is poverty & economic underdevelopment.

? 90% of African population uses fuelwood for cooking.

? With rapid increase in population growth & higher rates of urbanization the need for fuelwood as source of energy will continue to grow.

Deforestation

? The major cause of deforestation in Africa is clearing forest for crop production.

Problem is related to increased population growth

Use of slash & burn/shifting cultivation but with greatly reduced fallow periods.

? Logging for timber has also contributed and timber exports have been promoted by the structural adjustment programs of the IMF and World Bank.

Trucks loaded with logs in western Ivory Coast.

Clearing forests for crop production

Traditional cultivation techniques usually extensive e.g., chitemene in Zambia.

People live in dispersed hamlets with low pop. density ................
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