# Presentation: 949676

## AFRICA: Atlas of our Changing Environment

**AFRICA: Atlas of our Changing Environment**

## AFRICA: Atlas of our Changing Environment

**AFRICA: Atlas of our Changing Environment**

**Country Profile**

**Site Studies**

**Important Environmental Issues**

**Tracking Progress Towards MDG 7**

## AFRICA: Atlas of our Changing Environment

**AFRICA: Atlas of our Changing Environment**

**United Nations Millennium Development Goals**

**Goal 7:   Ensure Environmental ****	****Sustainability**
**Targets:**
**Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes and reverse the loss of environmental resources **
**Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving,  by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss  **
**Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation**
**By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers**

## People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria 

**Total Surface Area: 2 381 741 km****2**
**Estimated Population in 2006: 33 354 000**

**Over 90% of Algerians live along the Mediterranean coast on only 12% of the country’s land**

**98% of Algeria’s export earnings are from oil and natural gas**

**Important Environmental Issues**
- • Desertification
- • Water Scarcity
- • Pollution

**People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria **

**Facts and Figures**

## People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria 

**Gas Fields Across the Desert: Hassi R’ Mel**

**These satellite images show the dramatic development of the area in the last three decades**

**In the 1972 image, changes to the landscape are minor**

**The 2000 image reveals vastly expanded infrastructure, mainly related to the gas fields**

**People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria **

## People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria 

**Modern Irrigation: Ouargla Oasis**

**The 1976 image shows date palms surrounding Ouargla and Chott Aïn El Beïda, a saline depression that has collected irrigation runoff for generations **

**The 2006 image shows a proliferation of irrigated land, which, without proper management, will not be sustainable**

**People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria **

**Notes:**
Modern Irrigation: Ouargla Oasis, Algeria
Ouargla, located in the sands of the northern Sahara Desert, overlies the North-West Sahara
Aquifer (NWSA) which extends underneath Algeria, Tunisia and Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. Use of
the superfi cial water table of the NWSA extends back to ancient times. In the 19th century, bore
holes were drilled to access deeper parts of the aquifer. By the1970s there were roughly 2 000
bore holes on the NWSA. These wells now provide water to irrigate approximately 500 000 date
palms surrounding Ouargla.
The region’s traditional irrigation methods used sustainable amounts of water. Modern, more intensive
irrigation methods can lead to degraded water quality, decreased water levels, and loss of artesian pressure, as well
as salinization of the superfi cial water table and the soil. Natural drainage conditions and insuffi cient engineered
drainage have already led to accumulation of water near the surface and a concentration of minerals. This salinized
water at a depth of 0.5 to 1.5 m below the soil surface is detrimental to palm trees.
The 1976 image shows date palms surrounding Ouargla and Chott Aïn El Beïda, a saline depression that has
collected irrigation runoff for generations. The 2006 image shows a proliferation of irrigated land, which, without
proper management, will not be sustainable.

## Republic of Angola 

**Total Surface Area: 1 246 700 km****2**
**Estimated Population in 2006: 16 400 000**

**The rainforests of northern Angola are threatened by subsistence agriculture, which provides food for almost 90% of the population**

**85%** of **Angola’s export revenues** come from oil

**Important Environmental Issues**
- • Threats to Biodiversity
- • Access to Potable Water
- • Overfishing and Coastal Degradation

**Republic of Angola **

**Facts and Figures**

## Republic of Angola 

**Catoca Diamond Mine**** **

**The Catoca Mine was constructed between 1994 and 1997**

**Diamond mining is a large-scale earth-moving operation—for each carat recovered, more than a tonne of material is moved **

**Satellite images from 1990 and 2006 show the extent of change at Catoca**

**Republic of Angola **

**Notes:**
Catoca Diamond Mine: Angola
The Catoca kimberlite pipe (diamond-rich geological formations) in the Lunda Sul province of
Angola is the world’s fourth largest in terms of surface area, with diamond reserves of at least
40 million carats. The Catoca Mine was constructed between 1994 and 1997. In 2003, the mine
produced 2.5 million carats worth US$ 189 million.
Mining, by its very nature, signifi cantly alters the landscape. Satellite images from 1990 and
2006 show the extent of change at Catoca over that 16-year period. Diamond mining is a large-scale earth-moving operation—for each carat recovered, more than a tonne of material is moved. Diamond
mining is also extremely water intensive, since water is used to wash the fi nal gravels and separate
the diamonds.
The Catoca Mine was built to minimize its environmental footprint. Its current extraction methods produce
little toxic waste. The next stage of the project, however, will use dense media separation (DMS) for diamond
recovery, a chemical process that exerts a far greater environmental impact.

## Republic of Angola 

**Land Degradation: Huambo Province**

**Huambo province has been referred to as the “breadbasket of Angola”**

**Patches of dense green have been replaced by more reflective farmland and dense settlement (yellow arrows)**

**The loss of several forested areas, including some forest plantations, can be seen between the 1973 and**
**2006 images**

**Republic of Angola **

**Notes:**
Land Degradation: Huambo Province , Angola
While Huambo province has been referred to as the “breadbasket of Angola,” its soils in reality
are not ideal for agriculture. Many years of intensive cash crop agriculture on these marginal
soils dating back to the 1920/1930s further diminished their agricultural capacity. During
Angola’s civil war (1976-2002) many people who could not leave the region moved to the safer
zones along the Benguela Railways corridor between Huambo and Caála. In the 2006 image
this human activity shows as the lighter colours and loss of green throughout the centre of the image, particularly surrounding the two cities and the rail line between them. This concentration of settlement and
agriculture with minimal inputs further degraded soils in these areas.
Deforestation has also been found to be an important cause of land degradation and relocation in Huambo
province. The loss of several forested areas, including some forest plantations, can be seen between the 1973 and
2006 images, where patches of dense green have been replaced by more reflective farmland and dense settlement
(yellow arrows). At the end of the war, many of those returning to Huambo province found their land would
no longer support them and were again displaced. In addition, returning refugees found that destruction of
infrastructure, limited availability of inputs, and limited seed stock further reduced their prospects.

## Republic of Benin 

**Total Surface Area: 112 622 km****2**
**Estimated Population in 2006: 8 703 000**

**With more than 17% of its surface area harvested for cotton production, Benin is the seventh largest producer of cotton in Africa**

**Percentage of Benin’s export receipts that come from cotton is 80%**

**Important Environmental Issues**
- • Deforestation
- • Desertification
- • Threats to Biodiversity

**Facts and Figures**

**Republic of Benin **

## Republic of Benin 

**Deforestation: Ouemé Floodplain**

**The Ouemé floodplain shares water system with Lake Nokoué and Porto Novo lagoon**

**By 2000, some of the northern reserves had been decimated (yellow arrow)**

**Between 1986 and 2000, dense forest in this area was reduced by more that 40%**

**Republic of Benin **

**Notes:**
Deforestation: Ouemé Floodplain, Benin
Benin’s capital city, Porto Novo, and its largest city, Cotonou, lie within the fl oodplain and
watershed of the Ouemé River. They share this important water system with Lake Nokoué
and Porto Novo lagoon. The Ouemé River is home to over 120 species of fi sh; the greatest
concentration of the occurring in the lower reaches of the river basin. Almost all of them are
used for human consumption. The wetlands in the system serve as important nursery and feeding
grounds for many of these species. They are also important habitat for many of the 233 bird
species found in Benin.
In addition to its biodiversity, the coastal zone plays a key role in the economy of Benin. Fishing, agriculture,
and other economic activities within the coastal zone provide 70 per cent of the country’s total GDP and
livelihoods for much of Benin’s population. Population pressure and the drive to boost the gross production from
the coastal zone without proper environmental management threaten the integrity of the productive resource base
and biodiversity resources. Illegal logging is a serious problem throughout the whole catchment. Between 1986
and 2000, dense forest in this area was reduced by more that 40 per cent. The 1986 image shows forested areas at
the north-western edge of Lake Nokoué and north-eastern sections of the wetland system of Porto Novo lagoon.
By 2000, some of the northern reserves had been decimated (yellow arrow).

## Republic of Botswana 

**Total Surface Area: 581 730 km****2**
**Estimated Population in 2006: 1 760 000**

**Botswana has the largest African elephant population in the world—estimated at over 133 829 in 2006. For every 14 people in Botswana, there is an elephant**

**Botswana ranks 1****st**** in the world in production of gem quality diamonds**

**Important Environmental Issues**
- • Overgrazing and Desertification
- • Water Scarcity and Urbanisation
- • Wildlife of the Okavango Delta

**Republic of Botswana **

**Facts and Figures**

## Republic of Botswana 

**Jwaneng Diamond Mine**

**The mine annually produces 9.3 million metric tonnes of ore and an additional 37 million metric tonnes of waste rock, making it the richest diamond mine in the world by value of recovered diamonds**

**The Jwaneng Diamond Mine is located in south-central Botswana about 170 km west of the city of Gaborone, in the Naledi River valley of the Kalahari (Kgalagedi) **

**Republic of Botswana **

**Notes:**
Jwaneng Diamond Mine: Botswana
Botswana is the world’s leading producer of gem-quality diamonds. The diamond industry
accounts for 70 per cent of export earnings within the country. Diamond production in Botswana
is dominated by Debswana, a joint venture company owned by De Beers Investments (50 per cent)
and the Government of Botswana (50 per cent). The Jwaneng Diamond Mine is located in southcentral
Botswana about 170 km west of the city of Gaborone, in the Naledi River valley of the
Kalahari (Kgalagedi).
Jwaneng is an open pit mine, dug over three kimberlite pipes (diamond-rich geological
formations) which converge near the surface, covering 520 000 m2 at ground level. The mine annually produces
9.3 million metric tonnes of ore and an additional 37 million metric tonnes of waste rock. The high rate of
diamond extraction, combined with high quality diamonds fetching top prices, make the Jwaneng Diamond Mine
the richest diamond mine in the world by value of recovered diamonds.
Debswana has maintained a 5-star National Occupational Safety Association (NOSA) rating since 1986 and
owns and operates a local hospital and airport. With over 2 100 employees, the Jwaneng mine is also the fi rst
Botswana company to receive International Standards Organization (ISO) 14001 certifi cation in 2000, for
environmental compliance. The 1973 image shows no signs of mining activity. The 2006 image shows the dramatic

## Republic of Botswana 

**Threatened Waters: Okavango Delta**

**Decreasing water levels have already led to a paved road across a part of the lake which has been dry for several years (yellow arrow) **

**The Okavango River originates in the highlands of east-central Angola and brings the flood waters and sediment necessary to maintain the dynamic flooding of the delta **

**Republic of Botswana **

**Notes:**
Threatened Waters: Okavango Delta, Botswana
The vast stretches of grassland, wetland, and open water of the Okavango Delta are home
to a variety of wildlife and vegetation as well as several native tribes. Although the Okavango
ecosystem is considered one of the wonders of the world and attracts tourists from all over the
globe, it faces several signifi cant threats.
Proposed upstream water projects are among these threats. The Okavango River originates
in the highlands of east-central Angola and brings the fl ood waters and sediment necessary
to maintain the dynamic fl ooding of the delta. Upstream dams could trap much of this
sediment, causing the river’s channels to erode. These deeper channels would likely become established as the
few permanent channels, thereby depriving vast areas of life-sustaining fl oods. Nevertheless, there is increasing
pressure to divert water from the river for agriculture in Namibia and Angola.
At the southernmost tip of the Okavango Delta lies Lake Ngami, a signifi cant breeding ground for birds.
Historical records and recent satellite data suggest the lake has declined signifi cantly over the past 150 years. For
roughly the last century the lake has been fed primarily by fl ood waters that make it through the wetland into the
Kunyere and Nghabe Rivers. Should fl ooding decrease or cease in the delta, the lake would likely dry up entirely.
Decreasing water levels have already led to a paved road across a part of the lake which has been dry for several
years (yellow arrow).

## Burkina Faso 

**Total Surface Area: 274 000 km****2**
**Estimated Population in 2006: 13 634 000**

**Burkina Faso’s parks protect the largest elephant population in West Africa**

**15.4%  of Burkina Faso’s land is protected for biodiversity**

**Important Environmental Issues**
- • Water Scarcity
- • Land Degradation and Desertification
- • Deforestation

**Burkina Faso **

**Facts and Figures**

## Burkina Faso 

**Unplanned Settlements: Ouagadougou**

- The capital city of Ouagadougou, is home to approximately 40% of Burkina Faso’s rapidly growing urban population

- Much of this growth was concentrated in the south to southwest perimeter, a trend already apparent in the 1986 image (yellow arrows)

- The 2004 image shows more recent growth has been concentrated in the south and east (yellow arrows)

**Burkina Faso **

**Notes:**
Unplanned Settlements: Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Urban population in Burkina Faso grew 200 per cent between 1975 and 2000 and is projected to
continue expanding at a similar pace over the next quarter century. The capital, Ouagadougou, is
home to approximately 40 per cent of Burkina Faso’s rapidly growing urban population, with 1.2
million residents in 2003. In the 1980s, much of Ouagadougou’s growth was the result of rural to
urban migration of young people; however, by the mid-1990s natural growth had become the
main factor.
In spite of government attempts to manage it, much of the residential growth in Ouagadougou has occurred
in unplanned settlements at the periphery of the city. Because of the sprawling nature of these settlements, the city
occupied 14 times more area in 1993 than it had only 33 years earlier. By the early 1980s, 60 per cent of the urban
area was occupied by unplanned settlement. Much of this growth was concentrated in the south to southwest
perimeter, a trend already apparent in the 1986 image (yellow arrows). The 2004 image shows more recent growth
has been concentrated in the south and east (yellow arrows).
Unplanned settlements limit future possibilities for planned development and further complicate delivery of
basic services. The problem of an insuffi cient water supply is already being heavily felt. In addition, space used for
these settlements is lost to other uses, including agriculture and wildlife habitat.

## Burkina Faso 

**Protection of W National Park**

- In the early 1970s image, the boundary of the Park and surrounding protected areas is indistinguishable from adjacent lands

- By 2005, areas of contrasting land use are easily visible, as is the Kompienga Reservoir

- Visible in the 2005 image are scattered burn scars (dark reddish purple patches) as the dry season begins

**Burkina Faso **

**Notes:**
Protection of W National Park: Burkina Faso
“W” National Park in Burkina Faso is part of the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex, a transboundary
network of protected areas, which, taken together, are the largest and most important continuum
of ecosystems in the West African savannah. The complex’s varied habitat is home to
approximately 544 different plant species, 360 bird species, and more than 50 species of
mammals including elephants and hippopotamuses.
Partial eradication of the black and tsetse fl ies (carriers of river blindness and sleeping
sickness), an infl ux of transhumant pastoralists due to Sahelian droughts, and government
promotion of cotton growing, led to a regional population explosion in the late 1970s. Nevertheless, human
population in and around the Park remains relatively low, which, along with its protected status, has kept it the
most pristine of Burkina Faso’s protected areas.
In the early 1970s image, the boundary of the Park and surrounding protected areas is indistinguishable from
adjacent lands. By 2005, areas of contrasting land use are easily visible, as is the Kompienga Reservoir. Built in
1989, the dam is a source of water for irrigated agriculture as well as a fi shery. Also visible in the 2005 image are
scattered burn scars (dark reddish purple patches) as the dry season begins. Burning across most of the area is an
annual occurrence.

## Republic of Burundi 

**Total Surface Area: 27 834 km****2**
**Estimated Population in 2006: 7 834 000**

**Lake Tanganyika, a remarkable 676 km long, is also the second deepest lake (after Lake Baikal) in the world at 1 471 m deep**

**Burundi had the highest annual deforestation rate on the continent between 2000 and 2005 at 5.2% per year**

**Important Environmental Issues**
- • Land Availability and Degradation
- • Deforestation
- • Lake Tanganyika Ecosystems and Fisheries

**Republic of Burundi **

**Facts and Figures**

## Republic of Burundi 

**Agriculture and Urban Expansion: Bujumbura**

**A comparison of 1979 and 2000 satellite images shows the expansion of agriculture around the capital **

**Adequate rainfall and good soils have historically made Burundi self-sufficient in food production **

**Republic of Burundi **

**Notes:**
Agriculture and Urban Expansion: Bujumbura, Burundi
With 91 per cent of its people living in rural areas, Burundi is one of the most rural nations
in Africa. It is also the second most densely populated. Approximately 90 per cent of the work
force relies on agriculture, the vast majority being subsistence farmers. Some of the most intense
agriculture in Burundi surrounds the growing capital of Bujumbura.
A comparison of 1979 and 2000 satellite images shows the expansion of agriculture around the
capital. The high-resolution satellite image (inset) shows the interface between the southeast edge
of the city and surrounding farms.
Adequate rainfall and good soils have historically made Burundi self-suffi cient in food production. However,
many areas in Burundi are considered unfi t for cultivation. Scarcity of land will continue to put pressure on
farmers to cultivate unsuitable lands. Burundi’s domesticated land use has been measured at 86 per cent; a
country is generally considered to be “land scarce” when 70 per cent or more of its land is used. Better agricultural
practices could improve productivity and might relieve some of the pressure to convert additional unsuitable land
to agriculture.

## Republic of Burundi 

**An Island of Biodiversity: Kibira Forest**

**Burundi has resulted in profound deforestation—as much as 47% of the country’s forest cover has disappeared since 1990 **

**The 2004/2006 image shows Kibira Forest as an island of green in a largely deforested landscape **

**Inset A & B****: Light green patches in the enlarged 2006 image show evidence of disturbance where the mature forest has most likely been lost to fire or tree-cutting **

**Republic of Burundi **

- B

- A

**Notes:**
An Island of Biodiversity: Kibira Forest, Burundi
Uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuelwood coupled with land clearing for agriculture and
grazing in Burundi has resulted in profound deforestation—as much as 47 per cent of the
country’s forest cover has disappeared since 1990. Along the mountains dividing the Congo and
Nile River Basins is Kibira Forest, Burundi’s only montane rain forest. This 40 000-hectare forest
and national park is home to 644 plant species including the threatened African mahogany
species, Entandrophragma excelsum, as well as 98 mammal and roughly 200 bird species. Kibira is
also the source for 75 per cent of the water driving the country’s largest hydroelectric dam.
The 2004/2006 image at left shows Kibira Forest as an island of green in a largely deforested landscape.
The high-resolution images (lower right) show how agriculture—large and small—is closing in on the forest
boundaries. While the forest is a national park, it faces continued pressure from legal and illegal cutting of trees,
cutting of bamboo, fi re, poaching, grazing, and agriculture. Light green patches in the enlarged 2006 image (top
right, yellow arrows) show evidence of disturbance where the mature forest has most likely been lost to fi re or
tree-cutting. Limited legal forestry is allowed in the park; however inadequate capacity to enforce policy has led to
considerable illegal logging and clearing for farms.

## Republic of Cameroon 

**Total Surface Area: 475 442 km****2**
**Estimated Population in 2006: 16 601 000**

**With 63 snake species, Mount Nlonako in Cameroon is the richest single locality in the world for snake species**

**Mount Cameroon— one of Africa’s largest and most active volcanoes—is 4 095 metres high**

**Important Environmental Issues**
- • Land Degradation and Deforestation
- • Over-harvesting of Biological Resources
- • Degradation of Coastal and Marine Ecosystems

**Republic of Cameroon **

**Facts and Figures**

## Republic of Cameroon 

**Plantations in Campo-Ma’an**

**Campo-Ma’an is an important focus of conservation efforts in Cameroon, and in 2000 the Campo-Ma’an National Park was created to protect its diverse flora and fauna **

**In the 1973 image the forest appears as largely intact **

**The impact of the agro-forestry industry, which is dominated by rubber and palm plantations, can be seen clearly in the centre of the 2001 image **

**Republic of Cameroon **

**Notes:**
Plantations in Campo-Ma’an: Cameroon
The Campo-Ma’an rain forest in southern Cameroon covers approximately 770 000 hectares
of the Guineo-Congolian Regional Centre of Endemism—a species-rich area of rain forest with
many species found nowhere else in the world. While the human population density is quite low,
the area supports a host of economic activities, many of which threaten the area’s ecosystems,
including logging, shifting agriculture, and commercial agro-forestry. These forces contribute to
the deforestation rate in southern Cameroon, which is among the highest in central Africa.
In the 1973 image the forest appears as largely intact. However, the impact of the agro-forestry industry, which
is dominated by rubber and palm plantations, can be seen clearly in the centre of the 2001 image. Plantations,
roads and cultivated areas dominate the landscape. These large-scale agro-industrial operations have replaced
approximately 7.5 per cent of the area’s forest cover.
Campo-Ma’an is an important focus of conservation efforts in Cameroon, and in 2000 the Campo-Ma’an
National Park was created to protect its diverse fl ora and fauna. The park covers 26 400 hectares of diverse forests
stretching from the coast to roughly 100 km inland.

## Republic of Cameroon 

**Recent Eruptions: Mount Cameroon**

**Mount Cameroon is among the most active volcanoes in Africa **

**In the 1979 satellite image, the tracks of several old lava flows can be seen although the volcano had not erupted since 23 January 1959 **

**In the 1986 image, a lava flow is**
**visible on the southwest flank of the mountain (yellow arrow), the result of a 1982 eruption **

**The image from 2000 shows large lava flows left by the 1999 and 2000 eruptions (yellow arrows) **

**Republic of Cameroon **

## Republic of Cape Verde 

**Total Surface Area: 4 033 km****2**
**Estimated Population in 2006: 519 000**

**The only native mammal of Cape Verde is the long eared bat (*****Plecotus austriacus*****).**

**Important Environmental Issues**
- • Soil Erosion and Land Degradation
- • Threats to Biodiversity

**Republic of Cape Verde **

**Facts and Figures**

## Republic of Cape Verde 

**Volcanic Eruptions: Pico de Fogo**

**On 2 April 1995, residents on Fogo Island reported a red glow atop Pico de Fogo volcano **

**The 1995 eruption on the southwest slope sent lava flowing to the northwest across the main road through the caldera (yellow arrows) **

**Despite the danger, people live in the area and raise coffee, wine grapes, fruits, and other crops in the fertile volcanic soils (red arrows) **

**Republic of Cape Verde **

**Notes:**
Volcanic Eruptions: Pico de Fogo, Cape Verde
On 2 April 1995, residents on Fogo Island reported a red glow atop Pico de Fogo volcano. It was the beginning
of volcanic eruptions that would continue for seven-and-a-half weeks, sending lava across the fl oor of Cha das
Calderiras (Plain of Craters) that eventually covered 4.3 km2 of farmland, destroyed the village of Boca de Fonte,
and forced the evacuation of approximately 1 300 residents. Despite the danger, people live in the caldera and raise
coffee, wine grapes, fruits, and other crops in the fertile volcanic soils (red arrows).
The 1995 eruption on the southwest slope sent lava fl owing to the northwest across the main road through the
caldera (yellow arrows). Studies are ongoing as to the stability of Pico de Fogo.

## Central African Republic

**Total Surface Area: 622 984 km****2**
**Estimated Population in 2006: 4 093 000**

**Tropical forests cover 36% of the Central African Republic, and the rain forests in the southwest contain some trees reaching a height of 46 metres**

**Tropical forests contribute 50% of the country’s total exports by value**

**Important Environmental Issues**
- • Subsistence and Commercial Poaching
- • Deforestation and Land Degradation
- • Diamond Mining and Pollution

**Central African Republic**

**Facts and Figures**

## Central African Republic

**Biodiversity of Bangassou **

**The Bangassou Forest is a mosaic of lowland rain forest and secondary grasslands in southeastern CAR covering an estimated 1.2 to 1.5 million hectares **

**The growth of Bangassou and the apparently increasing gaps in the forest canopy between 1975 and 2006 (light coloured areas, particularly between Zipo and Madamboya)**

**Central African Republic**

**Notes:**
Biodiversity of Bangassou: Central African Republic
The Bangassou Forest is a mosaic of lowland rain forest and secondary grasslands in southeastern
Central African Republic covering an estimated 1.2 to 1.5 million hectares. This region is very
isolated; little is known about its forests and there has been no commercial exploitation of the
forest products in this area. While this is not a protected area, there has been oversight from
the regional Offi ce of Water and Forests and a community conservation project. The Bangassou
Forest is an area with high biodiversity and a wide range of habitats.
Only about 20 000 people live in the forest itself; however, the city of Bangassou has a population of over
24 000. The growth of Bangassou and the apparently increasing gaps in the forest canopy between 1975 and
2006 (light coloured areas, particularly between Zipo and Madamboya) suggest that pressure on the forest may
be increasing.
The Bangassou Forest is one of only two areas in Central African Republic where elephants still live.
Estimates of the elephant population have declined from 2 640 in 1989 and 1 600 in 1995 to perhaps as few as
500 to 1 000 in 2004. This is widely believed to be the result of poaching which appears unlikely to decrease
under current circumstances.

## Republic of Chad

**Total Surface Area: 1 284 000 km****2**
**Estimated Population in 2006: 10 032 000**

**Lake Chad is the most significant water body in the Sahel**

**Chad ranks third from last in Africa for access to safe drinking water at 42%**

**Important Environmental Issues**
- • Drought
- • Desertification and Land Degradation
- • Access to Water and Sanitation

**Republic of Chad**

**Facts and Figures**

## Republic of Chad

**Massive Oil Development: Doba**

**By 2007, the intensity of agriculture had increased greatly and three clusters of oil wells, concentrated over three oil fields, seen as light coloured squares at the end of access roads (yellow arrows) **

**Small patches of light green in the 1976 satellite image show agriculture already present in the area**** **

**Republic of Chad**

**Notes:**
Massive Oil Development: Doba, Chad
The Chad Export Project brought an investment of approximately US$3 500 million to one of
the poorest countries in the world. Among the stated goals was to “provide additional resources
to alleviate poverty through social sector and infrastructure development.” Concerns were voiced
by non-governmental organizations at the outset; these concerns included displacement of
people from traditional land and livelihoods, environmental degradation, opportunity for
corruption, and inadequate capacity to enforce environmental regulations.
The project included drilling 300 oil wells in farmland surrounding Doba and construction of a 1 050-km
pipeline across Cameroon to Kribi on the Atlantic Coast. Small patches of light green in the 1976 satellite image
show agriculture already present in the area. By 2007, the intensity of agriculture had increased greatly and three
clusters of oil wells, concentrated over three oil fi elds, can be seen. The fi elds of well pads show as light coloured
squares at the end of access roads (yellow arrows).
While the project has brought an infl ux of revenue, it remains to be seen if this translates to a better life for
the people living in the vicinity of the oil fi elds or in Chad as a whole. World Bank documents rate the project’s
performance in this regard as “moderately satisfactory.” Other reports have taken a less favourable view.

## Republic of Chad

**Agriculture in the Yamba Berté Forest Reserve**

**The Yamba Berté Forest Reserve in southwestern Chad is made up of critical gallery forests, pristine woodlands, and a network of small lakes and swamps **

**The 1986 image shows agriculture around Yamba Berté, including some encroachment on the reserve area **

**Second image shows dramatically increased agriculture around the reserve and several areas where the reserve boundary has been breeched **

**Republic of Chad**

**Notes:**
Agriculture in the Yamba Berté Forest Reserve: Chad
The Yamba Berté Forest Reserve in southwestern Chad is made up of critical gallery forests,
pristine woodlands, and a network of small lakes and swamps. The dense forest includes trees
that can grow as tall as 35 m. The reserve is important habitat for gazelles, monkeys, warthogs,
giraffe, elephants, and the rare giant eland (Taurotragus derbianus).
Yamba Berté is located in a zone of savannah woodland that stretches across southern Chad
and also supports a dense human population and most of the country’s agriculture. The
introduction of cotton in the 1930s and draft animals in the 1950s supported a large increase in
agriculture. During the drought years (1968, 1972-1973, 1983-1984) large numbers of people migrated to the
area because of its higher rainfall and the economic opportunity of its larger cities. In addition to subsistence
crops such as maize, millet, and sorghum, the area is ideal for growing cotton and groundnuts, which are the two
primary cash crops.
The 1986 image shows agriculture around Yamba Berté, including some encroachment on the reserve area.
The second image, captured 15 years later, shows dramatically increased agriculture around the reserve and
several areas where the reserve boundary has been breeched. The high-resolution image (inset) shows the detail
in one area of encroachment.

## Union of the Comoros

**Total Surface Area: 2 235 km****2**
**Estimated Population in 2006: 798 000**

**Comorian waters harbour the coelacanth, a rare, primitive fish once thought to have been extinct for 65 million years**

**Important Environmental Issues**
- • Deforestation and Soil Erosion
- • Threats to Coastal Ecosystems

**Union of the Comoros**

**Facts and Figures**

## Union of the Comoros

**Agriculture and Erosion: Anjouan Island**

**The image shows Anjouan’s fragmented forest**
**Comoros lost about 60% of its forest cover between 1950 and 1985 **

**Union of the Comoros**

**Notes:**
Agriculture and Erosion: Anjouan Island, Comoros
Comoros’ population quadrupled between 1950 and 2000. On Anjouan Island, where population density of is
446 people/km2, agricultural land is in short supply and many areas of steep terrain not suitable for agriculture
have nevertheless been cultivated. Traditional agriculture leaves many trees in the fi elds, which help control soil
erosion. However, pressure for food production is leading to more open fi eld agriculture and some monoculture
farming on the island of Anjouan. These more intense methods of agriculture encourage soil erosion.
The large image above shows Anjouan’s fragmented forest. The reddish yellow areas on the simulated 3-D
images show agricultural lands on Anjouan’s slopes. As a whole, Comoros lost about 60 per cent of its forest cover
between 1950 and 1985.

## Republic of Congo

**Total Surface Area: 342 000 km****2**
**Estimated Population in 2006: 4 117 000**

**Republic of the Congo is second only to Democratic Republic of the Congo in terms of tropical rain forest coverage among African countries**

**Important Environmental Issues**
- • Wildlife Poaching
- • Threats to Coastal Ecosystems and Inland   Wetlands
- • Deforestation

**Proportion of land area under forest is 65.8%**

**Republic of Congo**

**Facts and Figures**

## Republic of Congo

**Logging Roads in the Rain Forest**

**The 1976 image shows a large intact tract of humid tropical forest **

**The 2001 image shows an extensive network of logging roads that is causing considerable damage to the forest **

**Republic of Congo**

**Notes:**
Logging Roads in the Rain Forest: Congo
In the dense tropical rainforest of sparsely populated northeastern Republic of the Congo, large
tracts of relatively intact forest support a high concentration of biodiversity—including several
large mammal species, approximately 1 700 plant species, 428 bird species, and many fi sh
species. These forests play an important role in regulating local rainfall and climate. Tropical
rain forests also absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas.
The 1976 image shows a large intact tract of humid tropical forest. By contrast, the 2001 image shows an
extensive network of logging roads. The associated felling and removal of logs are causing considerable damage
to the forest. The roads also provide access for bushmeat hunters and farmers into previously remote, intact
forest. This has led to extreme over-hunting of vulnerable species including western lowland gorillas, elephants,
and leopards.
Global demand for timber is expected to encourage substantial deforestation in the long term. If this
deforestation triggers a landscape-scale transition from forest to woodland or savannah, the consequences for
biodiversity and climate would be catastrophic.

## Republic of Congo

**Bushmeat on the Roads: Ouesso**

**In the 1976 image few roads are visible and towns in the area are quite small, with little visibly disturbed forest surrounding them **

**By 2003, roads have penetrated throughout the area, towns have grown significantly, and, particularly near Pokola, the area of disturbed forest has grown (yellow arrows) **

**Logging roads, vehicles, and increased job opportunities have been shown to dramatically increase the range in which bushmeat hunting takes place **

**Republic of Congo**

**Notes:**
Bushmeat on the Roads: Ouesso, Congo
Ouesso, the largest town in northern Republic of the Congo with roughly 25 000 people, is
surrounded by relatively intact tropical rain forests with a range of fauna including elephants,
gorillas, chimpanzees, and bongos. Bushmeat accounts for the vast majority of protein in the diet
of local people. Hunters largely ignore laws governing the taking of wild game; the harvest is only
limited by accessibility and technology.
Inaccessibility of the area around Ouesso has also limited timber exploitation. Of seven
companies logging in the area in the 1990s, four went bankrupt under the burden of high
transportation costs. However, the area’s inaccessibility appears to be changing. In the 1976 image few roads are
visible and towns in the area are quite small, with little visibly disturbed forest surrounding them. By 2003, roads
have penetrated throughout the area, towns have grown signifi cantly, and, particularly near Pokola, the area of
disturbed forest has grown (yellow arrows).
Logging roads, vehicles, and increased job opportunities have been shown to dramatically increase
the range in which bushmeat hunting takes place. It also changes hunting from a subsistence activity to a
commercial activity with meat being transported as far away as Brazzaville. There is a proposal to build an
Ouesso-Brazzaville rail line. Improved transportation at lower cost would likely bring more roads, increased
logging, and further increase in the bushmeat trade.

## Democratic Republic of the Congo

**Total Surface Area: 2 344 858 km****2**
**Estimated Population in 2006: 59 320 000**

**Salonga National Park, Africa’s largest tropical rainforest reserve, is home to the bonobo (*****Pan paniscus*****), a small chimpanzee-like ape which is found only in Democratic Republic of the Congo**

**Important Environmental Issues**
- • Wildlife Poaching
- • Deforestation
- • Mining and Ecosystem Degradation

**The Congo River, second longest river in Africa, flows in a great arc through Democratic Republic of the Congo for nearly all of its length 4 400 km**

**Democratic Republic of the Congo**

**Facts and Figures**

## Democratic Republic of the Congo

**Deforestation Surrounding Bumba**

**A pattern of deforestation concentrated along the local roads of the DRC can be seen clearly in the 1975 image as loops of light green through the otherwise dense rain forest **

**In the 2003 image, these deforested corridors have widened, almost to the point of joining **

**Networks of logging roads can also be seen within two of the patches of largely intact forest in the lower right corner of the 2003 image **

**Democratic Republic of the Congo**

**Notes:**
Deforestation Surrounding Bumba: DRC
A pattern of deforestation concentrated along the local roads in the Nord-Ubangi and Mongala
provinces of the DRC can be seen clearly in the 1975 image as loops of light green through
the otherwise dense rain forest. In the 2003 image, these deforested corridors have widened,
almost to the point of joining. Most of this deforestation is the result of agricultural conversion,
fuelwood collection, settlement, and artisanal logging. Networks of logging roads can also be
seen within two of the patches of largely intact forest in the lower right corner of the 2003 image.
While industrial logging has had a relatively small impact in the DRC in the past, it has recently become the
most extensive form of land use in Central Africa. More than half of the area visible in these images is under
logging concession. The selective logging practised by commercial logging companies has been shown to have longlasting
impacts on forest composition. Logging roads have been shown to signifi cantly increase bushmeat hunting.
In addition to local and logging roads, a recent study for the World Bank suggests the road from Bangui, CAR,
to Kisangani, DRC, be improved as part of a continental road network. The study shows that the network would
increase trade on this route enormously. It also acknowledges concern that parts of the road network that would
experience the greatest increase in trade correspond to areas with the highest biodiversity.

## Democratic Republic of the Congo

**The Gorillas of Virunga National Park**

**The Virunga Park area is home to over half of the world’s 700 surviving mountain gorillas (*****Gorilla beringei beringei*****)**** **

**In the 1978 image, a line between the protected areas and the populated agricultural areas surrounding the parks is already apparent **

**While the boundary of the parks has remained largely intact since the mid-1970s, during the 1990s and early 2000s, large numbers of people moved into the area surrounding the parks **

**Democratic Republic of the Congo**

**Notes:**
The Gorillas of Virunga National Park: DRC
The Virunga Park area is home to over half of the world’s 700 surviving mountain gorillas (Gorilla
beringei beringei). In an area approximately 40 km by 12 km with an elevation ranging from 2 300 to
4 507 metres there are a variety of ideal gorilla habitats including bamboo and montane forests.
The area includes Mgahinga National Park in Uganda, Volcans National Park in Rwanda and
the Mikeno (Gorilla) sector of Virunga National Park in DRC. Surrounding these protected areas,
however, are some of the densest human populations in Africa. In addition to population pressure,
armed confl ict in the region has made habitat and species protection very diffi cult.
In the 1978 image, a line between the protected areas and the populated agricultural areas surrounding the
parks is already apparent. While the boundary of the parks has remained largely intact since the mid-1970s, during
the 1990s and early 2000s, large numbers of people moved into the area surrounding the parks, many of them
refugees from armed confl ict. A report by the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature documented
a large coordinated infl ux of people from outside the area in May and June of 2004. The report estimated that
15 km2 of land at the west edge of the Park (yellow arrow) were deforested during this time. The decline in areas of
green outside the protected areas suggests that few fallow fi elds and little natural vegetation remain—a sign of the
agricultural intensity in this area.

## Republic of Côte d’Ivoire

**Total Surface Area: 322 463 km****2**
**Estimated Population in 2006: 18 454 000**

**With over 1 200 animal species and 4 700 plant species, Cote d’Ivoire has the highest biodiversity of any West African country**

**Important Environmental Issues**
- • Deforestation
- • Threats to Biodiversity
- • Threats to Coastal Ecosystems

**40% of the world’s cocoa beans came from Côte d’Ivoire in 2006**

**Republic of Côte d’Ivoire**

**Facts and Figures**

## Republic of Côte d’Ivoire

**The Loss of Beki Forest Reserve**

**Beki Forest Reserve was one of 230 forest reserves established in the country in 1965 **

**By 1986 its forested area had decreased by about one-fifth to 12 816 hectares **

**In the images, decimation of Beki Forest Reserve is apparent between 1986 and 2003, in contrast to the Bossematie Forest Reserve to the southeast **

**Republic of Côte d’Ivoire**

**Notes:**
The Loss of Beki Forest Reserve: Côte d’Ivoire
Located in southeastern Côte d’Ivoire, Beki Forest Reserve was one of 230 forest reserves
established in the country in 1965. In 1971, Beki Forest Reserve covered 16 764 hectares. By 1986
its forested area had decreased by about one-fi fth to 12 816 hectares. In 1995, less than one-third
of the 1971 extent remained, representing an annual rate of loss around 4.5 per cent.
Much of this deforestation began in the 1980s when the government resettled two villages
away from the Comoé River and adjacent to the Beki Forest Reserve. The villages had been
affl icted with an outbreak of onchocerciasis (river blindness) carried by blackfl ies that live near
fast fl owing water. To facilitate the village resettlements, authorities allowed the villagers to exploit land within
the Reserve. Unfortunately, no limits were set on this authorized exploitation, and by the mid-1990s cultivation of
cocoa and coffee covered much of the original forest area. In the images above, decimation of Beki Forest Reserve
is apparent between 1986 and 2003, in contrast to the Bossematie Forest Reserve to the southeast.
In Côte d’Ivoire, cocoa plantations currently cover two million hectares, and have caused the loss of a
signifi cant portion of the country’s natural forests. Côte d’Ivoire produced 1.275 million metric tonnes of cocoa
in 2004/2005. Coffee and cocoa generate 50 per cent of the country’s total export revenues and one-third of the
population depends on cocoa cultivation.

## Republic of Côte d’Ivoire

**The Survival of Taï National Park**

**Taï National Park was declared a forest and wildlife refuge in 1926 and more recently a National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and a World Heritage Site **

**Much of this deforestation had already occurred before these images were taken; however several further areas of forest loss can be seen between 1988 and 2002 (yellow arrows) **

**As these images make clear, the boundaries of the park are under increasing pressure from a growing population that is running out of unprotected land to farm **

**Republic of Côte d’Ivoire**

**Notes:**
The Survival of Taï National Park: Cote d’Ivoire
Taï National Park, N’Zo Partial Faunal Reserve, and the Goin-Débé and Cavally Forest Reserves, are
remnants of tropical rain forests that at one time stretched from Ghana to Sierra Leone. Taï National
Park, the most pristine and heavily protected of these, contains some 1 300 plant species, over half
of which are unique to the region’s rain forests. Taï is also home to most of the large mammals that
occur in the area, including the leopard (Panthera pardus), which is critically endangered.
The park was declared a forest and wildlife refuge in 1926 and more recently a National Park,
a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and a World Heritage Site. This area was historically remote and
sparsely populated; however, roads built in the late 1960s brought periods of population infl ux. That population
has converted most of the forest outside the protected areas to agricultural land, leaving only scattered fragments
of forest. Much of this deforestation had already occurred before these images were taken; however several further
areas of forest loss can be seen between 1988 and 2002 (yellow arrows).
While deforestation continues outside the protected areas, the Government of Côte d’Ivoire has maintained
the Taï National Park’s integrity and its core area remains in relatively good condition. The current concern within
the park is commercial poaching, putting at risk all fauna, but duikers and primates in particular. Also, as these
images make clear, the boundaries of the park are under increasing pressure from a growing population that is
running out of unprotected land to farm.

## Republic of Djibouti

**Total Surface Area: 23 200 km****2**
**Estimated Population in 2006: 807 000**

**Djibouti’s Lake Assal, at 156 m below sea level, is both the saltiest body of water and the lowest point in Africa**

**Important Environmental Issues**
- • Water Scarcity
- • Land Availability and Desertification
- • Marine Resources and Pollution

**0.04% of Djibouti’s land is arable**

**Republic of Djibouti**

**Facts and Figures**

## Republic of Djibouti

**The city’s population grew 10-fold between 1950 and 2002 **

**The country of Djibouti has little arable land, little rainfall, and limited possibilities for capital city **

**Water availability in the capital is better than in rural areas, but supply and sanitation are problems there as well; the rapidly growing population will make the supply issue worse **

**Rapid Population Growth: Djibouti** **City**

**Republic of Djibouti**

**Notes:**
Rapid Population Growth: Djibouti, Djibouti
Nearly 85 per cent of Djibouti’s population is urban, with the vast majority of urban dwellers
living in the capital city, Djibouti. The city’s population grew 10-fold between 1950 and 2002
and is projected to grow another 25 per cent, to 800 000 people by 2025. The city is poor by
international standards, but its relative prosperity for the area has attracted migrants from rural
Djibouti and surrounding countries.
The country of Djibouti has little arable land, little rainfall, and limited possibilities for
irrigation. Because of this it imports 80 per cent of its food, mostly through the port of the
capital city. Droughts during recent decades and desertifi cation exacerbated by overgrazing have reduced the
viability of pastoral life. This, along with high rural water insecurity, has helped to drive many rural residents to
villages and cities—many of them settling in the capital.
Water availability in the capital is better than in rural areas, but supply and sanitation are problems there as well;
the rapidly growing population will make the supply issue worse. Improving access to water in the rural areas is a way
to address poverty and health issues in the countryside and at the same time reduce the rural-to-urban migration
that is straining the capital city’s infrastructure. A recent partnership between the European Union, UNICEF, and
Djibouti’s Ministry of Agriculture should bring clean, safe water to 25 000 of Djibouti’s poorest rural residents.