35 



THREATS TO BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY 



The viability of Africa's rich and valuable biological resource is increasingly threatened, 

 and is highly endangered in some cases. An example is die severely endangered status of black 

 rhinos. Several factors have contributed to this situation, including: 



1 . Severe economic stagnation, resulting in unmet basic human needs; 



2. Human population growth out-pacing agricultural production, leading to frequent 

 famines; 



3. Agriculturally unproductive land, resulting in cultivation on marginal land; 



4. Poor development of human resources and weak institutions that deal with 

 enviroiunental issues; 



5. Frequent droughts throughout the continent. 



Of all the contributing factors, poverty is probably the major constraint to conservation in 

 Africa. Economic underdevelopment leads to poverty which in turn leads to unsustainable use 

 of resources. Some basic social indicators of development demonstrate the level of 

 underdevelopment in most African countries. I have chosen Malawi, Zambia, Namibia, 

 Madagascar and Central Africa Republic to illustrate this point. 



Social Indicators of Development 



GNP per Capita 



Primary School Enrollment 

 (% of School Age Pop.) 



Infant Mortality per 1,000 



Child Malnutrition per 

 1,000 (Under 5 Years) 



Population per Physician 

 Population per Nurse 



Population per Hospital 

 Bed 



Pupils per Teacher 



103.0 



26.8 



11. 4K 



.06K 



.003K 

 .004K 



Source : World Bank, 1995 (Figures are estimates of 1988-93.) 



This table illustrates that, excluding Namibia, the average gross national product per 

 capita for these countries is $300, as compared to $24,740 in the United States. The average 



