Biodiversity, Humanity At Risk
Tropical rainforests cover about 12 percent of Africa, but deforestation and degradation are accelerating at alarming rates.
To understand the causes and effects of deforestation in Africa today, it’s important to note that there are important differences between a rainforest and a dry forest. The rainforests are found in three distinct areas:
- The Congo Basin rainforests;
- The ‘Upper Guinea’ forests of West Africa; and
- Isolated forest ‘islands’ on mountains, and along the East African coast. Africa’s rainforests are not as wet as those on other continents, and have gone through phases of contraction and expansion over the millennia in response to climate change.
Dry forests cover a greater area of the continent than rainforests, stretching across the Sahel region from Senegal to Somalia, and across regions like the Miombo forest in Southern Africa. They are not as dense as rainforests.
Agriculture accounts for approximately 75 percent of deforestation in Africa. This includes both subsistence farming and industrial agriculture.
Both agriculture and charcoal-making – among several other activities conducted in and around forests such as timber extraction and collection and commercialization of non-wood timber products – remain almost entirely informal. This adds another layer of complexity. These sectors contribute to huge informal economies at the national level, which sustain local livelihoods but are extremely difficult to monitor, manage and frame into development plans and effective policies.
Millions of informal workers, while providing the engine of Africa’s economy, have almost no legal rights to their land and livelihoods. Many live under the constant uncertainty of a system which may confiscate ‘their’ land and hand it to large mining, logging and agribusiness companies as part of broader development plans.
This deters informal workers from taking a long-term, sustainable approach to their activities, instead compelling them to exploit forests as intensely as possible while they still can – chopping down trees and using the resources immediately, rather than conserving them for future generations.
Because of these threats, the UN has recommended reforesting the greater Mt. Kilimanjaro area. It represents a collection of several ecosystems across Tanzania and even Kenya. These are some of the most threatened ecosystems on earth. Millions of people and priceless biodiversity rely on these ecosystems for food, water and survival. Several local NGOs have stepped forward with action plans. Hope is on the horizon, but they need your help.
“We are working with some visionary leaders who are working to defend critical ecosystems now,” said Gary Chandler. “We are looking for volunteers, sponsors and donors who want to help. I will put you in direct contact with several grassroots organizations across East Africa.”
Read The Full Story About Forest Conservation and Deforestation In Africa.
