references
State of the planet – Africa
Dave Follas-Wong
Africa. The mere name arouses wanderlust in many a wildlife lover. From the vast and barren Sahara, to the lush rainforest of the Congo; from the broad East African savannahs to the magic of the Okavango Delta, Africa is home to some of the Planet’s last great ecosystems that remain largely intact. Yet the African ecosystems are coming under ever greater pressure as humans consume an ever increasing share of the natural wealth for their own needs and wants. We hear stories in the news of wealthy nations buying land in Africa to produce food for their own people. We hear of multi-national corporations exploiting mineral wealth from the middle of fragile ecosystems. We know that the Congo rainforest – the lungs of Africa – continues to be cut down at an alarming rate. Such development and exploitation results in the construction of roads and other infrastructure which infiltrates and fragments ecosystems leading to further degradation. On top of this the human African population is rapidly growing, due to persistent poverty and the consequent lack of education, healthcare and family planning. Africa’s human population stands at a little over 1 billion at present, and is projected to increase to around 2 billion in 2050 and 4 billion in 2100. Three-quarters of this century’s global population growth is projected to occur in Africa.
Such population growth, coupled with the associated growth in consumption, has the potential to overwhelm much of Africa’s vast natural wealth. Will the great Wildebeest migrations go the way of the North American bison? Will the Congo rainforest suffer the same fate as the lowland rainforests that once covered the North Island of New Zealand and be replaced with intensive agricultural production? How the rest of the world assists Africa in its development will answer these questions and more, in the coming decades. It is certain that the African people deserve to live lives of dignity and freedom, such as we enjoy in ‘The West’; however they must be also given the opportunity and means to embark on a path of sustainable development. Anything less will not only erode the dignity and freedom of Africa’s people, but will destroy much of the natural wonder that makes Africa the remarkable land that it is. Africa stands at a pivotal moment and what happens in Africa in the coming decades will impact the entire planet.
Dave is a New Zealand educator who is a sustainability advocate and member of a number of environmental organisations including Population Matters in the UK. Dave manages the Sustainability NZ blog (sustainablenz.org)
Photos: Corey Mosen
30