Some conflicts and social unrest were the result not only of political instability but also of ethnic tensions, food insecurity, poverty, limited access to resources, and land pressures. Lack of or slow growth, particularly in central and northern Africa, has contributed significantly to the overall low aggregate regional output. Poor people are most at risk from environmental damage, whatever the cause. In economies based on natural resources, which most African countries are, resource degradation reduces the productivity of the poor, increases their susceptibility to extreme weather, economic and civil events, and environmental health threats. Poverty also makes recovery from such events even more difficult.
Most African countries depend on primary commodities for a significant part of their export income.
Africa's external debt continues to be a major impediment to the achievement of accelerated economic growth and development. The debt burden was higher than that of any other region. In the face of declining export earnings and debt burdens, many Governments have tried to boost their cash crop production and timber sales. Yet institutional infrastructures to support democratic changes often lag behind. Physical as well as institutional infrastructures were designed to support the colonial economy, not to promote production diversity and industrial development in general.