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Biodiversity: Its central role in the sustainable development of Africa

Year of publication 2020

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 112 p.

Author FAO

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Journal, magazine, bulletin

ISBN 978-92-5-132305-2

Series title Nature and Faune

Series number Vol. 33 Issue no. 1

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) Africa’s current population of 1.25 billion is likely to double by 2050 and will put accrued pressure on the continent’s biodiversity. Multiple investors attracted by the region’s resources are encroaching on its biodiversity in a rate that was never seen before, destroying its forests, grasslands and wetland habitats and species, leading to land degradation and desertification and further vulnerabilities and disparities. Cities were built, precious wood and materials and mineral resources were extracted, lands deforested and cleared for agriculture and for development, all at the expense of Africa losing its invaluable wealth: its biodiversity. In this edition, Nature & Faune gives the voice to Africa’s stories to be heard and shared, saying loud and clear that reversing the trend of biodiversity degradation and loss is still possible but we need to act now. Successful conservation and sustainable practices exist but we need to learn from them, and scale them up and address the challenges still laying ahead of us. To do so, partnerships are needed among sectors, communities, organizations and countries. Promising nature-based solutions need to be mainstreamed in every policy, every practice, sector, at local, national, regional and global levels.

Cite this content as:

FAO. 2020. Biodiversity: Its central role in the sustainable development of Africa, Nature & Faune, Volume 33, Issue 1. Accra.


Language English

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