Africa faces a critical challenge in balancing economic growth with the urgent need to conserve its rich biodiversity, according to a new report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Titled Economic development in Africa 2024, the report warned that the continent’s biodiversity faces substantial risks from climate change, agricultural practices and resource extraction, which in turn influence its economic prospects.
As the most climate-vulnerable continent, Africa is experiencing increasingly frequent droughts, floods and rising temperatures, which are damaging ecosystems, destroying habitats and causing substantial biodiversity loss, the report said.
The report’s authors emphasised the specific susceptibility of economies reliant on agriculture to the impacts of climate change. Severe weather conditions hinder food production and adversely affect rural populations.
In 2022 alone, climate-related disasters impacted over 110 million people in Africa, the analysis showed. The economic damage was more than $8.5 billion, it added.
Many African countries face difficulties in investing in climate resilience because of substantial debt burden. Around 46 per cent of these countries have debts that surpass 60 per cent of their GDP in 2023.
While agriculture is a key sector for many African economies, it also contributes to biodiversity loss. Over 60 per cent of African exports come from natural resources, including farm products according to report. Expanding farmland leads to deforestation and loss of grasslands. This threatens species that depend on these ecosystems.
The report noted that climate change is making farming increasingly unpredictable. Droughts now happen every three years instead of every six years before 2015. This increases food insecurity and puts more pressure on the environment.
The report also addressed the risks associated with resource extraction and the development of green energy. Africa has immense potential for renewable energy and contains substantial reserves of minerals such as lithium and cobalt, which are essential for solar panels and batteries. However, mining these resources can destroy forests and ecosystems.
Despite having 60 per cent of the world’s solar energy potential, Africa utilises only 1 per cent, the findings of the report showed. The rush for minerals raises concerns about foreign companies exploiting Africa’s resources. Often, these projects benefit foreign markets more than local energy needs.
Water scarcity makes the situation even worse, as Africa is the second-driest continent after Australia. Industries that use a lot of water are especially at risk, the authors of the report noted. Rivers and lakes are drying up, which is affecting aquatic biodiversity, particularly freshwater species and fisheries.
Another report from the International Organization for Migration found that in October 2023, over 23 million people in East Africa didn’t have enough food because it didn’t rain adequately. This caused many people to move, which put even more pressure on natural resources and animal habitats.
UNCTAD urged governments in the country to adopt better policies, boost intra-African trade, support sustainable farming and manage resource extraction responsibly.