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Environmental Issues in Africa
Africa's history is one greatly influenced by outside influence. In the 19th century the entire continent was divided amongst eager imperialistic nations and the subsequent effects have been tremendous. It is only recently that many African nations are finding the capabilities to not only deal with Western influence, but to create their own functioning urban communities and economic systems. These advancements have not come easily, but more importantly they have not come without a host of environmental concerns. Through various issues caused by increased urbanization, pollution and climate change, Africa has a long list of environmental issues.
Some of Africa's most pressing environmental issues are the result of deforestation, degradation and desertification. As a result of growing populations and agricultural demand, there are extensive areas of Africa that have been victim to deforestation and as a result the environment has been effected. A loss of forest lands means lower air quality, and less biodiversity. Biodiversity is very important, in Africa especially, where many species of animals and plants only exist in specific African regions. In the South African Fynbos region alone, there are 8,500 species of plants exist that are unique solely to that region. Degradation is also a serious concern in Africa. Degradation is the loss of density of vegetation, which comes as a result of the removal of important plants and trees, along with erosion and temperature changes that make areas less likely to support vegetation. The loss of plant life in some areas of Africa has many adverse affects on local species, not to mention the fact that it makes farm land incapable of supporting crops. The loss of soil fertility, which comes as a result of these various processes are one of Africa's most serious environmental threats on a long term basis. Land in Africa that is being threatened by deforestation and degradation is also in danger of suffering from desertification. Desertification refers areas adopting desert like conditions, which were previously semi-arid, marginal farming lands. As a result of overgrazing, misuse of land and soil exhaustion, areas that were once slightly dry make the shift to complete desert conditions. Africa is victim to more desertification than any other region in the world and in the Sub-Saharan Africa area alone more than 270,000 miles of former farm land has become desert.
The other main Environmental concerns in Africa have to deal with pollution of land, sea and air. Africa has a great deal of problem with waste, but unlike other countries with the same problem, Africa is not actually creating most of its garbage. In many cases, African countries are paid to take on the waste of other countries, but do not have the capabilities to properly dispose of such materials. For example, the country of Nigeria has become an open dumping ground for a host of electronic products that range from cell phones to fax machines. As a result, the land is subject to a variety of toxins and dangerous elements that are found in these products. Attempts to burn the waste release the toxic chemicals into the air, which only amplifies their negative effects. The same issues that cause Africa's land pollution are linked to their vast amount of water pollution. Solid waste from other countries plays a large role in the contamination of Africa's limited drinking water supply. This poor water quality has led drastic increases in disease and infant mortality rates. Additionally, the fact that many parts of Africa are developing creates a great deal of potential for air pollution. Many African communities rely on cheap forms of energy such as charcoal and wood that create a great deal of carbon emissions. Cheap energy emissions, coupled with the increased air pollution of growing urban centers such as Nairobi, Cape Town and Cairo result in very poor air quality for many parts of Africa.
While the environmental issues discussed are abundant and in dire need of being addressed, they do not capture the entirety of Africa's environmental problems; in fact, they only cover a small percentage. Africa will be engaged in an uphill battle against these issues for decades to come and like the world at large, should not underestimate the seriousness of environmental problems.
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