Thus, environmental degradation refers to the process or a situation of depreciation in quantity andor quality of the resources of the environment such as air, water resources, mineral resources, land, flora and fauna, as a result of harsh climatic factors, pollution andor unsustainable exploitation by man. It does not attempt to cover the full range of social issues associated with all types of environmental degradation. Environmentalism, political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities. Angola, botswana, lesotho, malawi, mozambique, namibia, south africa, swaziland, zambia, and zimbabwe. Given that livelihoods of the majority of the rural poor heavily depend on natural resources, countries in the region have designed a number of policies and strategies to address land degradation and to enhance productivity.
The nature, extent and causes of land degradation in south. There is however a drive in south africa towards greater. In the drier parts of africa, millions of hectares of grazing land and rangeland are also threatened with degradation in the arid north, the semiarid south, the sudanosahelian countries and in the drier parts of cameroon, ethiopia, kenya and nigeria. The south african drainage sa dea, 1999 soil erosion is one of the major causes of land degradation, below are some of the various factors affecting land degradation. Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil. Both of these have serious environmental implications, as can be seen in south africa s current ecological footprint.
Land and environmental degradation and desertification in. Exploring the impact of climate change on children in. Poverty, urbanization, and environmental degradation. It has been suggested as the main cause of biodiversity loss in. Environmental degradation africa, northcase studies. Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of natural resources such as air, water and soil. Experiences from the south african land degradation. This has given enough time for the soil to regain its fertility burger, 1990.
Gibsona school of animal, plant and environmental sciences university of the witwatersrand, johannesburg, south africa submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of. In addition, we have specific instances of severe environmental pollution or degradation that have potentially. Africas environment, economy, lifestyles and livelihoods. The aim of this paper is to reassess the land degradation and desertification problem in south africa. The economics of land degradation benefits of action outweigh the costs a complementary report to the eld initiative the economics of land degradation in africa. Environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict reinforce each other and constitute a real development trap in most less developed countries ldcs and africa in particular. Certain information has also been taken from environmental laws of south africa by p. Environmental change, soil erosion and land degradation are key factors in reduced productivity. Both poverty and environmental degradation have been increasing in many developing countries, hence there is a pressing need first to evaluate and analyze the poverty environmental degradation nexus, and second, to prescribe policy options to mitigate or eradicate these two problems. Both desertification and land degradation are intricately linked to food security, poverty, urbanisation, climate change, and biodiversity and therefore are among the most critical environmental challenges in south africa. Saharan africa, mpra paper 88527, university library of munich. A food and environmental threat david pimentel1 1college of agriculture and life sciences. A case study of zaka district, masvingo province, zimbabwe.
Environmental degradation is one of the greatest challenges that faces humanity today. Southern africa is the southern region of the continent africa. South africa is especially susceptible to iaps and this is nationally perceived as the countrys greatest land degradation threat, partly because it reduces national streamflow by 2. Land and environmental degradation and desertification in africa. Overview and stocktaking of land degradation in general and in africa. The environmental impact of chinas investment in africa. This is a major issue of concern as it can lead to ecological degradation as well as increasing societal vulnerability. For example, in south africa the mercury levels are severe due to coal combustion and gold mining. Lesotho is surrounded by south africa it is in the middle of south africa. This has given enough time for the soil to regain its fertility burger, 1990 indigenous people have been using iks to solve environmental issues such as treatment of cattle ticks by the fulani tribe and production of a better bean variety in columbia and rwanda world development report,199899. Environmental degradation, livelihood and conflicts accord. Forests, rangelands and climate change in southern africa. A drought means a long period of dry weather during which the lack of rain results in a severe shortage of water.
When natural habitats are destroyed or natural resources are depleted, the environment is degraded. Introduction largescale charcoal production, primarily in sub saharan africa, has been a growing concern due to its threat of deforestation, land degradation and climate change impacts. All in all, it can affect us, humans, in many ways. Land degradation management in southern africa prof. Instead, drawing particularly on unrisd work, it focuses largely on the social impacts of and responses to environmental degradation in rural areas of the third world. Penny environmental and developmental consultantpractitioner, cape town, south africa keywords.
Numerous other national and international projects are underway as soil erosion in africa gains greater attention from policymakers and social as well as environmental organizations. Assessing the climate change environmental degradation and. The aims of the workshop were to exchange information, identify issues of common concern and shared needs, and discuss the. Pdf an overview of environmental issues in southern africa. Pdf poverty and environmental degradation in africa. One of the most serious threats to the quality of life in africa. Environmental degradation and inclusive human development. Since approximately 91% of south africas landscape is drylands, it makes it susceptible to desertification. Environmental degradation and inclusive human development in subsaharan africa, working papers 1 3006, office of the chief economist, development bank of nigeria. There is a huge list of environmental issues in africa, which is turning out to be a threat to the global environmental condition. Lloyd vista university, port elizabeth, south africa keywords. Environmental degradation and inclusive human development in sub. The south african weather service defines a drought as a period of 12 moths when.
Issues include desertification, problems with access to safe water supply, population explosion and fauna depletion. Coal burning from power stations for generating electricity is responsible for high levels of air pollution in south africa department of environmental affairs and tourism 2005 and has caused a great hazard to human health and the south african environment in general munnik et al. Design has become part of sustainability culture during a historical moment in which environmental degradation, inducted by human activity, emerges as a fact and begins to be officially cautioned. Environmental degradation of land a result of the legal and social status of african women and their exclusion from inheritance in south africa. Environmental degradation comes about due to erosion and decline of the quality of the natural environment. The soil allows the crops to absorb the mercury, which humans ingest. It is cited as the most environmentally devastating phase of this traditional. Unep division of environmental policy implementation. Mercury is absorbed from the air into the soil and water. Bentsen3,6, and alonso ramirez4,7 1odum school of ecology, university of georgia, athens, georgia 30602 usa 2savannah river ecology laboratory, aiken, south carolina 29802 usa.
Environmental degradation is the deterioration causing degenerative harm of the environment through exhaustion of natural assets such as water, soil, and air including the ecosystem, habitat intrusion, wildlife extermination, and environmental pollution. The following section outlines sustainability theory and how this has progressed over the last four decades. May 23, 2018 definition of environmental degradation. Unep has estimated that more than a quarter of the african continent is at present in the process of becoming useless for cultivation due to degradation. Many environmental issues affect southern africa due to urbanization and the acts needed in order to survive. The social and environmental consequences of coal mining. Conflict implications of coal mining and environmental. Migration is a complex process, made more so by the role it played in the creation of the apartheid state. The pressures and impacts on the environment which constitute environmental change highlights the increased generation of human pollution and waste. Consequences of symbiotic relationship between poverty and development using environmental degradation as a platform. Land degradation the process of land degradation in southern africa is blamed on water and wind erosion, sedimentation, longterm destruction of vegetation and diminution of the bioresources. The economics of land degradation in africa eld initiative.
Gibsona school of animal, plant and environmental sciences university of the witwatersrand, johannesburg, south africa submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master of science in resource conservation biology supervisor. Pdf environmental degradation of land a result of the. Poverty in southern africa sadc region has been described as one of the root causes of environmental degradation. Providing for a further 2 billion people by 2050 will challenge our ability to manage and restore the natural assets on which all life depends. To provide evidence to this issue and assess these trends, the international organization for migration has produced an assessment study on climate change, environmental degradation and migration in south asia. This erosion is the dominant form of soil degradation troeh et al. Air pollution in africa is coming to the forefront and must not be ignored. The constitution says that everyone has the right to a safe and healthy environment. This article attempts to assess the impacts of roadsa huge physical development component on the environment in south africa.
These are the main environmental issues faced by africa. Environmental degradation has seen various international conferences aimed at protecting our. It is caused directly or indirectly by anthropogenic activities that extract various environmental resources at a faster rate than they are replaced, and thus depleting them. African environmental issues are caused by anthropogenic effects on the african natural environment and have major impacts on humans and nearly all forms of endemic life. South africa undertook a national land degradation neutrality ldn target setting process during 201718 in response to the united nations convention to combatting desertifications call for signatory countries to voluntarily commit to ldn as also requested under sustainability development goal 15. These issues are ultimately linked to overpopulation in africa, as well as on a global scale. Environmental implications of the road network in south africa. Causes and impacts of land degradation and desertification. Africa is a good example of great vulnerability to drought and desertification and a seemingly inability to manage these climate based issues. Allafrica publishes around 800 reports a day from more than 140 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. This chapter examines the conditions under which environmental problems in ldcs, and africa in. Efforts to counteract this problem include environmental protection and environmental resources management. Environmental policy, south africa, development, natural resource, business strategy contents 1.
The country has a wide range of interrelated environmental and development challenges existing in a sociopolitical context recently subject to substantial change. The key problems highlighted are global warming and climate variability, loss of biodiversity, deforestation, desertificationland degradation, waste and littering, population growth, urbanization, pollution, poverty and health hazards. South africa, namibia and botswana and preland reforms zimbabwe. Developmental issues and environmental policy in south africa. Pdf the south african soil environment shoana leigh. Some of the aspects of these issues are discussed in the article below, along with some measures which need to be taken. Economics of land degradation in subsaharan africa. The social and environmental consequences of coal mining in south africa a case study prepared by. Chinas environmental record both at home and in africa has been the subject of criticism much of it deserved.
In africa, the program is funding projects that will protect forests and topsoil while generating incomes for rural communities. In the drier parts of africa, millions of hectares of grazing land and rangeland are also threatened with degradation in the arid north, the semiarid south, the sudanosahelian countries and. According to the united nations convention on climate change on south africa in 2000, the water around africa is unevenly distributed, meaning that 60% of the water is situated in only 20% of the land. Land degradation, including overgrazing, is regarded as one of the main environmental problems in southern africa darkoh, 2009. There are many examples of environmental degradation throughout the world. This paper provides an overview of some of the significant environmental problems in the southern african region. Desertification has been defined as land degradation in arid, semiarid, and dry subhumid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities11. Victor munnik mvula trust with geraldine hochmann mvula trust, mathews hlabane sa green revolutionary council and stephen law environmental monitoring group january 2010 a joint initiative of environmental monitoring group, cape town, south. Abstract this paper provides an overview of some of the significant environmental problems in the southern african region. As a signatory, south africa is required to develop a national action programme to combat desertification and commissioned a survey of the extent and causes of land degradation in the country. Tackling the drivers of global environmental degradation through. The africa environmental education and training action plan aeetap 20152024, as called for. The future of the environment in southern africa is in the hands of its people numbering about 6 million expected to double in the next 24 years chenje, 1994.
Cloud of soil from africa being blown across the atlantic ocean imagery by seawifs project. It is clear that the environmental challenges in subsaharan africa are more complex than the simple model linking environmental degradation to population growth and inappropriate macroeconomic policies indicates. In africa, because of economic pressures and slower evolution of environmental awareness, local communities have been particularly exposed to the detrimental effects of contamination arising from mining and its effects on public health, agriculture and the environment. Water supply and sanitation in south africa one of southern africa s biggest issues is the lack of clean water. Because of this complexity, no easy solutions are available. The fynbos and grassland biome are exceptionally vulnerable to iaps. The paper pays particular attention to the role of the lhwp in environmental degradation and resultant impact on environmental and human security. Indigenous knowledge systems and environmental management. African environmental issues minnesota state university. The oecd environmental outlook to 2050 projects demographic and economic trends over the next four decades, using joint modelling by the. Social and environmental implications of charcoal production in liberia 1. Subsaharan africa ssa has experienced the most severe land degradation in the world. Observations on environmental change in south africa.