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Africa Environmental References
The opening quote comes from Wilson (The Diversity of Life, Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press, 1992).
Some information for each country profile comes from CIA World Book 1992-1997, the United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development (UNCED), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the World Conservation
Monitoring Center (WCMC), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) State of the World's Forest
1997 (SOFO), and the International Tropical Timber Organization reports (ITTO) 1996-1999.
Afrotropical Realm:
Associated Press, "African Leaders Want World Bank to Support, Not Dictate," 1/24/98.
EDF, "Making the Label Stick," The Environmental Defense Fund, 1997
Fisher-Thompson, J., "Congress Hears 'Alarm Bell' for Central African Forests," USIA, 3/21/97.
Landes, D., The Wealth and Poverty of Nations New York: W.W. Norton & Co., Inc., 1998.
Pearce, Fred. "Lost Forests Leave West Africa Dry." The New Scientist. 1-18-97.
Raybould, A., "Asia, Europe, and Africa's CFA Franc" Reuters, 2/2/98.
Xinhua., "FAO Calls for Agricultural Policy Changes in Sub-Saharan Africa," 2/13/98.
Angola:
Okamba, L., "No end to Angola Oil Enclave's War," Associated Press 1996.
Benin:
Benin Report: Document prepared for the United Nations Conference of the Environment and Development (1992), UNCED
National Reports, Jun 1991.
Burundi:
Dennison, S., Murray, G,, Booth, G., Burundi biological diversity and tropical forest assessment. Program USAID-Tropical
Forest and Biological Diversity Assessments, Jan. 1989.
Cameroon:
Associated Press. "Cameroon bans hardwood exports." 7/1/99.
Gartlan, S., "Conservation of Forest Ecosystems of Cameroon" (translated from French), Program: Conservation
of Forest Ecosystem Studies-IUCN, 1989.
Horta, K., "Makings of a New Ogoniland?" Environmental Defense Fund, March 1997.
Congo:
Hecketsweiler, Phillipe. "Conservation of Forest Ecosystems of the Congo" (translated from French). Program:
Conservation of Forest Ecosystem Studies-IUCN. 1990.
Ngangoue, Nana Rosine. Congo-Environment: Can't See the Wood for the Felled Trees. InterPress Service. 9/10/95.
Cote d' Ivoire:
Biological Diversity Guide to Ivory Coast (translated from French). Biological Diversity profiles-WCMC. Commission
of the European Committee; WCMC, Cambridge, UK. 1991.
Bunce, M. "Ivorian Cocoa Seen on Long-Term Uptrend." Reuters. 12/5/97.
Reuters. Ivory Coast Acts to Curb Illegal Timber Felling. 8/30/96.
Equitorial Guinea:
Fa, J.E., "Conservation of Forest Ecosystems of Equitorial Guinea" (translated from Spanish), Program:
Conservation of Forest Ecosystem Studies-IUCN, 1991.
Gabon:
Knight, D., "Gabon: Forest Council Takes Action," Reuters, 11/18/97.
IPS. "Forest Council Acts to Decertify Logging," Inter Press Service. 11/20/97.
Ghana:
UNCED: Environment and Development in Ghana-Ghana national report. 1991.
Guinea:
Guinea: Conservation of Biological Diversity. Biological Diversity profiles-WCMC. 1988.
Madagascar:
Barnard, C., "Trouble in Paradise," Africa-Environment and Wildlife, Vol 2, No. 1. Jan/Feb 1994.
Bradt, H., Guide to Madagascar, Globe Pequot Press, Old Saybrook, CT., 1994.
Burger, M. and Price, C., "Madagascar's Unique Reptiles and Amphibians," Africa-Environment and Wildlife,
Vol 4, No. 1. Nov/Dec 1996.
Godfrey, L. R.; Jungers, W. L.; Reed, K. E.; Simons, E. L., "Primate Subfossils: Inferences about Past and
Present Primate Community Structure," from Environmental Change in Madagascar, Patterson, Goodman, and Sedlock,
eds., 1995.
Madagascar Environmental Action Plan. National Environmental Action Plans-World Bank and USAID. Jul 1988.
Robinson, K., "The blessings of Biodiversity," San Francisco Chronicle, 1/19/00.
Oxford, P. and Bish, R., "Spirits of the Forest, the Lemurs of Madagascar," Africa-Environment and Wildlife,
Vol. 4, No. 6. Jan/Feb 1996.
Malawi:
U.S. Bureau of the Census, Report WP/98, World Population Profile: 1998, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington,
DC, 1999.
Nigeria:
Moffat, D. and Lindén, O., "Perception and Reality: Assessing Priorities for Sustainable Development
in the Niger River Delta," Ambio Vol. 24 No. 7-8 (527-538), Dec. 1995.
UNCED. "Achieving sustainable development in Nigeria." UNCED National Reports. 1991.
Rwanda:
Fimbel, C. and Fimbel, R. "Rwanda: The role of local participation." Conservation Biology Vol. 11 No.
2 (309-310), Apr. 1997.
Wolanski, E. "Rwanda National Parks Dying." 1/5/96.
Sao Tome and Principe:
Jones, Burlison, Tye. Conservation of forest ecosystems in the Democratic republic of Sao Tome and Principe. Program:
Conservation of Forest Ecosystem Studies-IUCN. 1991.
Senegal:
Senegal: Conservation of biological diversity and forest ecosystems. Biological Diversity profiles-WCMC. 1989.
Tanzania:
Tanzania: Conservation of biological diversity and forest ecosystems. Biological Diversity profiles-WCMC. 1988.
Uganda:
Stone, Paula; Dalal-Clayton, Barry; et al. "Environmental Synopsis of Uganda 1992. Program: Environmental
Synopsis-ODA, ECC, AIDAB.
Uganda: Conservation of biological diversity and forest ecosystems. Biological Diversity profiles-WCMC. 1988
Zaire:
A.P. "Congo Park Torn by War Opens for Badly Needed Tourist Dollars." Associated Press. 10/2/97.
Biswas, A.K. and Tortajada-Quiroz, H.C. "Environmental impacts of Rwandan refugees on Zaire." Ambio Vol.
25 No 6. (403-408), Sept. 1996.
D'Emilio. "UNESCO names world's cultural treasures, endangered sites." A.P. 12/4/97.
Hart, T.B. and Hart, J.A. "Zaire: new models for an emerging state." Conservation Biology Vol. 11 No
2. (308-309) Apr. 1997.
Myers, N. "Tropical Forests: Present Status and Future Outlook." Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
1991.
Reuters 1997. "Urgent Action Said Vital to Save Congo Wildlife." 7/24/97.
Reuters 1996. Sudan's Civil War Threatens Zaire's Wildlife with Extinction. 2/14/96.
Zaire: Conservation of biological diversity. Biological Diversity profiles-WCMC. 1988.
"Zaire Forest policy revision." TFAP-FAO 1988. 375. 1988.
"Zaire Tropical forestry Action plan." Tropical Forestry Action Program-FAO. 1990.
Wolanski, E. "Rwanda National Parks Dying." 1/5/96.
"Rainforest" is used interchangeably with "rain forest" on this site. "Jungle" is generally not used.
Recent news
Beef consumption fuels rainforest destruction (02/16/2009)
Nearly 80 percent of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon results from cattle ranching, according to a new report by Greenpeace. The finding confirms what Amazon researchers have long known – that Brazil's rise to become the world's largest exporter of beef has come at the expense of Earth's biggest rainforest.
How to save the Amazon rainforest (01/04/2009)
Environmentalists have long voiced concern over the vanishing Amazon rainforest, but they haven't been particularly effective at slowing forest loss. In fact, despite the hundreds of millions of dollars in donor funds that have flowed into the region since 2000 and the establishment of more than 100 million hectares of protected areas since 2002, average annual deforestation rates have increased since the 1990s, peaking at 73,785 square kilometers (28,488 square miles) of forest loss between 2002 and 2004. With land prices fast appreciating, cattle ranching and industrial soy farms expanding, and billions of dollars' worth of new infrastructure projects in the works, development pressure on the Amazon is expected to accelerate. Given these trends, it is apparent that conservation efforts alone will not determine the fate of the Amazon or other rainforests. Some argue that market measures, which value forests for the ecosystem services they provide as well as reward developers for environmental performance, will be the key to saving the Amazon from large-scale destruction. In the end it may be the very markets currently driving deforestation that save forests.
Amazon rainforest damage surges 67% in 2008 (12/20/2008)
The area of rainforest in the process of being deforested — razed but not yet cleared — surged in the Brazilian Amazon during 2008, according to new figures released by Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE). The announcement comes shortly after the Brazilian government reported a 4 percent increase in forest clearing for the year. Using an advanced satellite system that tracks changes in vegetation cover INPE found that 24,932 square kilometers of Amazon forest was damaged between August 2007 and July 2008, an increase of 10,017 square kilometers -- 67 percent -- over the prior year.
Cutting deforestation can fight climate change, reduce poverty and conflict (09/24/2008)
Forest conservation can play a critical role in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and alleviate poverty, said a prominent group of politicians, development experts, and environmental NGOs meeting in New York City to discuss U.S. climate policy.
Future threats to the Amazon rainforest (07/31/2008)
Between June 2000 and June 2008, more than 150,000 square kilometers of rainforest were cleared in the Brazilian Amazon. While deforestation rates have slowed since 2004, forest loss is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. This is a look at past, current and potential future drivers of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.
