The international community needs to provide financial and technical help for Africa’s protected areas, the World Parks Congress has recommended.
In a report issued on Tuesday, it says one of the most important environmental challenges facing the continent is the need to reconcile development needs with sustainable management of its natural resources.
The report says poverty is one of the main causes and consequences of environmental degradation in Africa.
”Without significant improvement in the living standards and livelihoods of the poor, environmental policies and conservation programmes will achieve little success. This is further exacerbated by the negative effects of international trade policies and practices,” the report states.
It recommends that the international community provide technical and financial resources for the African Protected Areas Initiative (APAI), and that it establishes partnerships with African institutions to promote the objectives of the APAI.
It also recommends that private sector and non-governmental organisations provide financial and technical support for the African Protected Areas Trust Fund.
”Today, we recognise that Africa’s biological diversity is part of our common world heritage, and the international community must urgently increase collaboration to protect it before large numbers of species of flora and fauna become extinct, and unique eco-systems irreversibly collapse,” the report states. — Sapa