This is so because of the low industrialisation characteristic of the continent, whose economy is still trapped in the shackles of economic stagnation. Sadly the  BIS Review 74/2004  3  rate, at which industrialised nations are emitting especially greenhouse gases, implies that Africa will also soon begin to experience effects of global warming. The effects of global warming, which include floods, hurricanes and general weather changes that can also affect agriculture production, with prospects to damage material wealth and property will negate the little gains that African economies have attained thus far. To complicate the situation further, majority of African economies do not have buffer resources to enable them rebuild infrastructure that may be damaged from the effects of global warming. Consequently, in respect to effects of global warming, the tendency in most of Africa will be increased poverty, exacerbation in poor sanitation and outbreaks of epidemic. Ignoring environmental sustainability, even if doing so leads to short-run economic gains, can hurt poor people and undermine long-run poverty reduction (UNDP, 2003). The two areas, economic growth and the environment are interrelated. Therefore developments in one coexist with developments in the other. The exclusion of accounting for the value of nature in economic indicators such as the Gross National Product (GNP) and the Human Development Index (HDI), gives a subordinate role of nature in promoting growth; in addition to this, property rights to natural capital are frequently difficult to establish (Dasgupta, 2002).

Effective environmental protection policies relating primarily to the effects of degradation and depletion of the environment need to be implemented and maintained by institutions and individuals at all levels of society namely, local governments and national, regional,  4  Environment Canada, International Relations, International Agreements, 1998 http://www.ec.gc.ca/international/multilat/ ozone_e.htm  5  Kyoto Protocol, Status of Ratification, Last Modified 29th July 2004, http://unfccc.int/resource/kpstats.pdf  BIS Review 74/2004  7  as well as international institutional bodies. This is even more critical for Africa which is also faced with unique constraints such as rapid urbanisation, poverty, poor legislation and inadequate capacity to implement and enforce legislative controls where they exist. The trend of population growth in developing countries, estimates that 95% of the total world population growth will occur in Africa, Latin America, and Asia over the next 30 years (Post-LawrenceWeber, 1999). The resulting increasing strain on natural resources due to the imminent population boom in Africa if not checked, will cause many setbacks to economic growth and human development. It is therefore advisable that stricter environmental policies be implemented in these countries so as to offset encounters with such negative developments. The anticipated future demographic pressure on urban areas due to a shift of the expanding population to the cities and towns in search of jobs will ultimately result in increased levels of air pollution, and pressure on transportation facilities, urban sanitation, access to clean water supply, and waste disposal.