, PLEASE USE THIS DOCUMENT AS A GUIDE TO ANSWER YOUR ASSIGNMENT
Please also note that the author of this document will not be responsible for any plagiarism you
commit.
Question 1
1. According to UNEP (2024). "Africa is rich in natural resources ranging from arable land.
water, oil, natural gas. minerals, forests and wildlife. The continent holds a huge proportion of
the world's natural resources. both renewable and non-renewable." Write an essay in which you
provide a critical examination of the anticipated effects on the environment due to human
use/exploitation of these resources in Africa as they relate to the following:
Land degradation in southern Africa (Lesson 3 of the study material).
Threats to the Fynbos biome (Lesson 5 of the study material)
Essay 1
The Looming Shadow: Critical Examination of Environmental Effects of Resource
Exploitation in Africa
Africa, as highlighted by UNEP (2024), is endowed with an abundance of natural resources,
including fertile land, water, oil, natural gas, minerals, forests, and diverse wildlife. These resources,
both renewable and non-renewable, are integral to the continent’s economic and social development.
However, the extensive human exploitation of these resources presents significant environmental
challenges, particularly concerning land degradation in Southern Africa and the threats to the Fynbos
biome in South Africa. This essay critically examines these environmental consequences within the
context of the Anthropocene, an era marked by unprecedented human impact on the planet.
Land Degradation in Southern Africa
Land degradation in Southern Africa is a pressing environmental issue resulting from unsustainable
human activities. Soil, a biologically active and porous medium essential for agriculture, carbon
cycling, and water regulation, is being increasingly degraded due to over-cultivation, overgrazing,
deforestation, and inefficient irrigation practices. The study material estimates that around 500,000
square kilometers of land in Africa suffer from degradation, with Southern Africa experiencing
severe impacts.
Over-cultivation depletes soil nutrients and reduces its water retention capacity, leading to
diminished agricultural productivity. The drive to meet the food demands of a growing population
exacerbates unsustainable farming practices. Overgrazing, where livestock populations exceed the
land's carrying capacity, strips vegetation cover, accelerating soil erosion and desertification.
Deforestation for agriculture and commercial logging further disrupts ecosystems, altering water,
carbon, and nutrient cycles and leaving soil vulnerable to erosion and leaching. Additionally, poor
irrigation techniques, particularly in arid regions, contribute to soil salinization, rendering
once-fertile land barren.
Mining activities, another significant contributor to land degradation, lead to habitat destruction, soil
contamination, and increased erosion. The extraction of minerals in Southern Africa, often conducted
without adequate environmental safeguards, results in extensive landscape alteration and pollution of
nearby water bodies. These destructive practices undermine soil quality and disrupt local ecosystems,
posing long-term challenges to sustainable development.
Please also note that the author of this document will not be responsible for any plagiarism you
commit.
Question 1
1. According to UNEP (2024). "Africa is rich in natural resources ranging from arable land.
water, oil, natural gas. minerals, forests and wildlife. The continent holds a huge proportion of
the world's natural resources. both renewable and non-renewable." Write an essay in which you
provide a critical examination of the anticipated effects on the environment due to human
use/exploitation of these resources in Africa as they relate to the following:
Land degradation in southern Africa (Lesson 3 of the study material).
Threats to the Fynbos biome (Lesson 5 of the study material)
Essay 1
The Looming Shadow: Critical Examination of Environmental Effects of Resource
Exploitation in Africa
Africa, as highlighted by UNEP (2024), is endowed with an abundance of natural resources,
including fertile land, water, oil, natural gas, minerals, forests, and diverse wildlife. These resources,
both renewable and non-renewable, are integral to the continent’s economic and social development.
However, the extensive human exploitation of these resources presents significant environmental
challenges, particularly concerning land degradation in Southern Africa and the threats to the Fynbos
biome in South Africa. This essay critically examines these environmental consequences within the
context of the Anthropocene, an era marked by unprecedented human impact on the planet.
Land Degradation in Southern Africa
Land degradation in Southern Africa is a pressing environmental issue resulting from unsustainable
human activities. Soil, a biologically active and porous medium essential for agriculture, carbon
cycling, and water regulation, is being increasingly degraded due to over-cultivation, overgrazing,
deforestation, and inefficient irrigation practices. The study material estimates that around 500,000
square kilometers of land in Africa suffer from degradation, with Southern Africa experiencing
severe impacts.
Over-cultivation depletes soil nutrients and reduces its water retention capacity, leading to
diminished agricultural productivity. The drive to meet the food demands of a growing population
exacerbates unsustainable farming practices. Overgrazing, where livestock populations exceed the
land's carrying capacity, strips vegetation cover, accelerating soil erosion and desertification.
Deforestation for agriculture and commercial logging further disrupts ecosystems, altering water,
carbon, and nutrient cycles and leaving soil vulnerable to erosion and leaching. Additionally, poor
irrigation techniques, particularly in arid regions, contribute to soil salinization, rendering
once-fertile land barren.
Mining activities, another significant contributor to land degradation, lead to habitat destruction, soil
contamination, and increased erosion. The extraction of minerals in Southern Africa, often conducted
without adequate environmental safeguards, results in extensive landscape alteration and pollution of
nearby water bodies. These destructive practices undermine soil quality and disrupt local ecosystems,
posing long-term challenges to sustainable development.
