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enshrined in various laws with total disregard for the well-being of the living Earth
Community. For example, most laws permit and legitimise extraction from Nature
upon the simple requirement of conducting an environmental impact study and/or
assessments.
The growth of capitalism spreading to every part of our planet was facilitated by
the legal recognition of corporations as artificial persons capable of holding rights;
whereas life-giving species and components of the Earth, such as lakes, rivers,
forests and mountains have been systematically denied their inherent rights to be
and to flourish.
As a continent, Africa is laden with environmental problems that may not necessarily be peculiar to it. However, strategies to tackle them would be more efficient if
they are borne out of local (indigenous) ideologies. This chapter will demonstrate
how the engagement of African eco relationalism has significant potentials to preserve the ecological integrity of Mother Nature on the continent and beyond. It will
begin by discussing environmental problems which are prevalent in Africa and
indeed, the rest of the world; and thereafter proceed by interrogating the relationalism element of African eco philosophy and how it can be applied to address the
environmental problems discussed.
2 African Environmental Problems
Africa is the second largest and the second most populated continent in the world.
It has 54 states and a wide variety of natural diversity. In the past years, this continent has faced many political and war issues, which made the countries poor and
underdeveloped. But lately, the conditions have become better and people have
started thinking of development and growth. Still, there are tribal areas where people rely on hunting and simple vegetation for food. The lack of education, poverty,
and the ever-increasing population has raised many serious environmental issues in
Africa. These issues have become a serious concern for not only the continent, but
also for the entire world.
Africa suffers from some serious environmental problems, including deforestation, soil erosion, desertification, wetland degradation, and insect infestation.
Efforts to deal with these problems, however, have been handicapped by a real
failure to understand their nature and possible remedies. Conventional wisdom
views the people of this region as highly irresponsible toward the environment and
looks to the international community to save them from themselves. It tends to
blame all of the region’s environmental problems on rapid population growth and
poverty. Yet, there is no conclusive evidence that Africans have been particularly
oblivious to the quality of the environment, nor has the international community
shown any genuine concern for it until recently. Clearly, protecting the environment of Africa is an issue that needs to be examined more carefully and incorporated into an overall strategy of sustainable economic development (Omofonmwan
and Osa-Edoh 2017).
N. F. Unuigbe
enshrined in various laws with total disregard for the well-being of the living Earth
Community. For example, most laws permit and legitimise extraction from Nature
upon the simple requirement of conducting an environmental impact study and/or
assessments.
The growth of capitalism spreading to every part of our planet was facilitated by
the legal recognition of corporations as artificial persons capable of holding rights;
whereas life-giving species and components of the Earth, such as lakes, rivers,
forests and mountains have been systematically denied their inherent rights to be
and to flourish.
As a continent, Africa is laden with environmental problems that may not necessarily be peculiar to it. However, strategies to tackle them would be more efficient if
they are borne out of local (indigenous) ideologies. This chapter will demonstrate
how the engagement of African eco relationalism has significant potentials to preserve the ecological integrity of Mother Nature on the continent and beyond. It will
begin by discussing environmental problems which are prevalent in Africa and
indeed, the rest of the world; and thereafter proceed by interrogating the relationalism element of African eco philosophy and how it can be applied to address the
environmental problems discussed.
2 African Environmental Problems
Africa is the second largest and the second most populated continent in the world.
It has 54 states and a wide variety of natural diversity. In the past years, this continent has faced many political and war issues, which made the countries poor and
underdeveloped. But lately, the conditions have become better and people have
started thinking of development and growth. Still, there are tribal areas where people rely on hunting and simple vegetation for food. The lack of education, poverty,
and the ever-increasing population has raised many serious environmental issues in
Africa. These issues have become a serious concern for not only the continent, but
also for the entire world.
Africa suffers from some serious environmental problems, including deforestation, soil erosion, desertification, wetland degradation, and insect infestation.
Efforts to deal with these problems, however, have been handicapped by a real
failure to understand their nature and possible remedies. Conventional wisdom
views the people of this region as highly irresponsible toward the environment and
looks to the international community to save them from themselves. It tends to
blame all of the region’s environmental problems on rapid population growth and
poverty. Yet, there is no conclusive evidence that Africans have been particularly
oblivious to the quality of the environment, nor has the international community
shown any genuine concern for it until recently. Clearly, protecting the environment of Africa is an issue that needs to be examined more carefully and incorporated into an overall strategy of sustainable economic development (Omofonmwan
and Osa-Edoh 2017).
N. F. Unuigbe