Indoor air pollution in Africa, is responsible for 600,000
premature deaths annually, a report by the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) said on Thursday.
The report said that the continent’s reliance on the use of
biomass for cooking, lighting and heating means that 90 per cent of the
region’s population was exposed to health threat.
It noted that land degradation, air pollution, and the provision
of sanitation and safe drinking water were among the main problems on the
continent.
The report said that many of the region’s fisheries, both
inland and marine, face over-exploitation from illegal, under-reported and
unregulated fishing.
It, however, said that the continent had an opportunity to
use its large young population to drive its growth.
``Low-carbon, climate-resilient choices can develop the
continent’s infrastructure, accelerate industrialization, increase energy and
food production, and promote sustainable natural resource governance,’’ it
said.
On water and sanitation, the report said the proportion of
the population served with 'clean water is increasing and grew from 64 per
cent in 2005 to 68 per cent in 2012.’’
It, however, said that absolute numbers of people without
safe drinking water remain high.
“More than half of the population in sub-Saharan Africa
still does not have any access to improved sanitation, compared to 90 per cent
coverage in North Africa, with a vast difference between urban and rural
areas,’’ the report said.
It listed African megacities such as Cairo, Kinshasa and
Lagos, and emerging mega cities such as Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg and Luanda,
as facing challenges from poor management of sanitation services.
The report said those challenges arose from inadequate and
deteriorating infrastructure resulting from under-investment.
According to it, land-based activities causing pollution of
freshwater bodies ultimately impact coastal and marine resources.
On land and forest, it noted that Africa had the second
largest continent in the world, but most prized asset for food production,
nutritional health and economic development.
“Worryingly, about 500 000 square meters of land in Africa
is being degraded due to soil erosion, pollution and deforestation.
“This land degradation can damage agricultural productivity,
nutrition and human health.
“A growing population and a rise in the demand for firewood
will mean that forest cover in Africa is likely to continue shrinking,
declining to less than 600 million hectares by 2050.
“Over cultivation, inefficient irrigation practices,
overgrazing, the over-exploitation of resources, uncontrolled mining activities
and climate change will further degrade land in Africa,’’ the report said.
It explained that this would lead to reduced agricultural
productivity, reduced food security, which could increase migration and spread
disease, destroy infrastructure such as roads and bridges, and high rates of
poverty.
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