Managing Natural Resources in Africa Geography 12

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief What are Africa’s Ecosystems? 1.Mediterranean 2.Mountain Regions 3.Tropical Grassland 4.Dry Grassland 5.Hot Dessert 6.Tropical Rainforest

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief Relationship between the environment and people Everything is Connected: Without adequate forest cover, soils become depleted. Without fertile soil, food production declines, and the threat of hunger increases. Without secure food supplies and clean water, good health is impossible!

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief Relationship between the environment and people Video: Climate Witness – Farmers in Tanzania Left High and Dry

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief Environmental Problems Deforestation Soil degradation Water resource degradation Unsustainable use of land and water resources Desertification Loss of biological diversity (ECA, 1999)

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief Environmental Problems Deforestation Soil Erosion Reduced Water Retention Capacity Desertification

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief Environmental Problems In Uganda and Ethiopia, 80% of all environmental degradation costs is from soil erosion Every year Africa loses 50 hectares of tropical forest a year Every year 230 million hectares affected by soil and land degradation

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief Environmental Problems One of the underlying causes of this situation is the inadequate management of natural resources

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief Any progress achieved in addressing the Millennium Development Goals of poverty and hunger eradication, improved health, and environmental protection is unlikely to be sustained if most of the ecosystem services on which humanity relies continue to be degraded.

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief What are the Millennium Development Goals? A series of 8 goals to be achieved by They were developed to bind the world to join forces to fight against poverty, illiteracy, gender inequality, child and maternal mortality, disease and environmental degradation.

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief How do the MDGs relate to the Environment and Natural Resources?

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief MDGs: The 8 Goals and their Targets

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief Goal # 1 Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty Target: Reduce the proportion of people living on less than $1.25 per day by half Reduce the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by half

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief Goal # 2 Achieve universal primary education Target: Ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief Goal # 3 Promote gender equality and empowerment of women Target: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education by 2005 at all levels by 2015

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief Goal # 4 Reduce child mortality Target: Reduce the mortality rate among children under five by two thirds

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief Goal # 5 Improve maternal health Target: Reduce the maternal mortality ratio by three quarters

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief Goal # 6 Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases Target: Halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS Halt and begin to reverse the incidence of malaria and other diseases

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief Goal # 7 Ensure environmental sustainability Target: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs Reverse the loss of environmental resources Reduce the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water by half

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief Goal # 8 Develop a global partnership for development Target: Develop an open and fair trading system with commitments to good governance and poverty reduction Deal with the debt problems of developing countries

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief To achieve the MDGs, improved management of resources is necessary

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief Examples of sustainable management of natural resources include:

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief Promoting Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief Planting Trees

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief Together we can build healthy communities!