State intervention in natural resources looking likely.

India has spread a mix of aid, education and technology transfers through Africa, hoping it will pay out in the scramble for natural resources.

BHP Billiton chair Don Argus said the group's decision to drop its plans to pursue rival Rio Tinto is "disappointing after many months of hard work".

Africa's rich abundance of life seems inexhaustible, but growing pressure on animals and plants could lead to greater poverty and more wars.

"Earth Overshoot Day" on Tuesday is meant to draw attention to estimates that people are gobbling up more in resources than the planet can replenish.

Native bush could be a weapon against climate change, making South Africa a player in the international carbon credits market.

Many African countries are rapidly running down their natural resources as growing populations push the continent towards its ecological limits, conservation organisation WWF said on Monday.