Although Africans consume far less than people in other regions, rapidly rising populations are pushing the continent’s natural systems and resources to their limits, according to a report issued by the World Wildlife Fund and the Global Footprint Network.
Entitled “African Ecological Footprint and Human Well-Being,” the report said the average African had an “ecological footprint” — the amount of land and sea currently being used to support one person — of 1.1 hectares (2.7 acres). That is only half the global average of 2.2 hectares (5.4 acres), but Africa’s growing population — demographers say the number of people on the continent is expected to grow from 680 million today to 1.4 billion in 2050 — is straining the continent’s ecosystems. The report said Egypt, Libya and Algeria are living the farthest beyond their ecological means, but also named nine other countries pushing up against nature’s ability to support their populations: Morocco, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The report mentioned a number of encouraging trends, including a recovery of wild animal populations in East Africa and a growing awareness of the environment as an important issue in economic development.
Entitled “African Ecological Footprint and Human Well-Being,” the report said the average African had an “ecological footprint” — the amount of land and sea currently being used to support one person — of 1.1 hectares (2.7 acres). That is only half the global average of 2.2 hectares (5.4 acres), but Africa’s growing population — demographers say the number of people on the continent is expected to grow from 680 million today to 1.4 billion in 2050 — is straining the continent’s ecosystems. The report said Egypt, Libya and Algeria are living the farthest beyond their ecological means, but also named nine other countries pushing up against nature’s ability to support their populations: Morocco, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The report mentioned a number of encouraging trends, including a recovery of wild animal populations in East Africa and a growing awareness of the environment as an important issue in economic development.