Africa's Environment: A Stressed Biogeographical and Cultural Landscape

Abstract

Humans are an important component of the biophysical environment in Africa, interacting with its resources through prisms of knowledge structures to harness and manage resources sustainably. A review of the human sphere (e.g., population and migration, land and land use, agriculture, and food security) and the ecosphere (e.g., environmental change, biodiversity, water, and coastal resources) is undertaken. The review suggests an environment which is generally degraded, and blamed on biophysical processes and policy failures. Mainstreaming policies and decision-support systems of different sectors and development processes would help reduce conflicts in resource use toward maintaining the integrity of Africa's environment. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.