Deforestation: The result of cutting down trees to use for money & free up land for farming. 1. Problem: Cutting down trees leads to erosion (wearing away) of the land. This leaves it useless for farming (raising livestock) & agriculture (growing crops). 2. Problem: Destroying the rainforest areas & disrupting the balance of nature. (Both flora (plants) & fauna (animals) are becoming extinct.)

 Farmers depend on chemical fertilizers to grow crops  Problem: These chemicals end up polluting Africa’s water systems (rivers & lakes).  People tend to live near waters systems, especially in Africa, due to the extreme dry conditions in much of the continent.  Problem: Limited access to water =low population in the Sahara.  Problem: Bacteria in the water causes diseases.

 Only 47% of sub-Saharan Africans have access to safe drinking water. However, unlike in other regions in the world, industry is not the primary cause of water pollution in Africa. Rather, natural phenomena, such as snails, worms, insect larvae, and other parasites are the main factors affecting Africa’s poor water quality. These organisms cause waterborne diseases which reduce life expectancy, lessen the quality of life, and retard economic development.

Africa suffers from extreme drought (no rainfall) Problem: Drought leads to the problems of: FAMINE (EXTREME shortage of food) & DESERTIFICATION (spread of desert-like conditions). Caused by OVER USE OF LAND BY HUMANS: Overgrazing, Drought, Deforestation The Sahel is slowly turning into desert (desertification). The Savanna is slowly turning into the Sahel. Before long….most of Africa could be a desert!

More than 1/3 of Africa is threatened by desertification, which is the conversion of productive land into desert. In semi-arid areas of W. Africa, it is estimated that the desert is expanding by more than three miles per year. Desertification is often induced by human mismanagement through overgrazing, over- cultivation, deforestation, and over irrigation. It is usually worsened by drought.