Environmental Issues of Africa

1. Environmental Issues of Africa SS7G2 Students will discuss environmental issues across the continent of Africa.

2. Water Issues Rivers of Africa • A major issue facing the Nile River is that it is being contaminated with human and industrial waste. • The Aswan High Dam has allowed Egyptian farmers to have year round irrigation however the Nile is not flooding so silt is no longer deposited in Egyptian fields. • Silt- rich topsoil carried by floodwaters • With less silt farmers are forced to use more fertilizers which makes the soil’s salt levels to rise making it harder to farm the land.

3. Rivers of Africa cont’d • The Niger River in the Sahel of Africa is used mostly for transportation and agriculture • The Congo River in Africa is used for irrigation of farmland and a fishing industry. • Some people believe that some parts of Africa may have “water wars” because of the competition among countries that share a river system. Industrial pollution • Some African governments ignore the industrial pollution of major rivers and waterways they want the industries to be profitable.

4. Poor Soil and Deforestation in Sub-Saharan Africa • Deforestation- destruction of trees and other vegetation. • Continuous farming and overgrazing of animals have destroyed the grasslands and forests of the Sahel • Droughts- periods of little rainfall • Droughts in the Sahel have caused farmers to quit farming and move to the cities for work causing over crowding, starvation, and poverty

5. Desertification of Africa from the Sahel to the rainforest • Desertification- the process of the desert expanding into areas that were formerly farmland. • Desertification in the Sahel region has led to increased starvation and poverty. • The major cause of desertification in Africa is the overuse of land by its own people • “Green Line”- place where the cultivated land ends and the desert begins.

6. Rainforest of Africa • The African country losing its rainforest most rapidly today is Nigeria. • Logging for industry, farming, and fuel is the most common reason for the loss of the rainforests in Africa