Africa needs green growth to fight pollution
Regional, Environment, 7/6/2002

Africans are likely to suffer increasing pollution, ill-health and loss of farmland unless the continent adopts "clean" technologies and the world does more to fight global warming, the United Nations said on Thursday

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), in an assessment of Africa's environment, said many African countries were trying hard to protect their farms, coasts, jungles and deserts. "But a far bigger effort, by countries within and outside the continent, is needed," said a U.N. statement on the report.

The report, Africa Environment Outlook (AEO), said growing populations, wars, debt, natural disasters and disease had damaged the continent's rich environment over the past 30 years.

In the next 30 years, UNEP said, poverty, pollution and disease were likely to be worsened by climate change, the unchecked spread of species from outside Africa, the uncontrolled growth of cities and pollution from cars and industry. The U.N. body urged a wide range of anti-pollution measures by African nations and foreign development partners.

"Actions include deeper cuts in Africa's debt burden, a boost in overseas aid, the empowering of local communities, enforcing environmental agreements, introducing green and clean technologies and allowing African countries fair access to international markets for their goods and services," it said.

UNEP executive director Klaus Toepfer, speaking at the worldwide launch of the report in the Ugandan capital, said the document contained the facts on which action could be based.

"We have all the resources, both financial and technological, to build Africa and the lives of its citizens and to conserve its astonishing biological richness and diversity," he said. "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."

Africa is extremely vulnerable to global warming because of its dependence on rain-fed agriculture and lack of money to offset any resulting damage, the report says.

Crop yields in some parts of Southern Africa may fall by as much as 20 per cent if global warming continues. Experts expect significant extinction of plants and animals over coming decades if global warming grows unchecked, it says.

Air pollution is on the rise in a continent which has the highest rate of urbanization in the world. The problem is made worse by taxes that encourage dirty fuels, a sharp rise in the import of often older model cars and out-dated, inefficient industrial plants.

Renewable energy, such as wind, solar and waste-into-energy projects are starting to be introduced in some countries such as Algeria, Morocco and Mauritius.

Africa has some of the most species-rich areas in the world, ranging from the Mediterranean Basin forests of the north to the Guinean Forest, the Western Indian Ocean islands and the Karoo of southern Africa. The latter is the world's richest desert where 40% of its over 4,800 plant species are unique.

Wildlife is vulnerable to efforts to boost timber, crop and mineral exports, the report said. Animals are endangered by slash and burn agriculture, poaching, invasive alien species, and inadequate enforcement of conservation laws.

Coastal and marine areas are threatened by pollution, over-harvesting of fish, erosion and the potential impacts of climate change, says the report.

An estimated 38% of coastal ecosystems, such as mangrove swamps and coral reefs, are under threat from developments such as ports and the growth of coastal settlements and their sewage discharges.

Previous Stories:
  Islamic conference of environment ministers adopts sustainable development declaration   (6/14/2002)
  Arab environment ministers council session in Damascus   (5/23/2002)
  International conference on mediterranean forest ecosystem, in Rabat   (5/9/2002)
  Sahara-Sahel observatory ad-hoc group meets in Rabat   (5/9/2002)
  Arab environment ministers meet in Cairo   (10/24/2001)

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