After consultation with your tutor, you will identify a general theme and problem that will serve as a focus for your research for your Assignment 3: Position Paper and Assignment 4: Case Study . You

Protecting Biodiversity in Africa

Introduction

Africa is a habitat to a highly endowed and diverse plants, animals and marine diversity that has significantly given sustenance to ecosystem. It has been critical in ensuring the prosperity of the African economy and has acted as buffer for the climate change. However, for an extended time now, Africa has been experiencing a gross loss of biodiversity. It is being estimated in the coming century, there will be loss above fifty percent of African mammals and birds. The plants and marine plants are also expected to decrease by approximately 30% and quite a significant extinction of plant species (Patton, 2020).

To make the matter worse, there is an ongoing menace of loss and degradation of natural habitat, specifically from agricultural expansion. There is a threat of overexploitation of fishery and wildlife species due to poaching and illegal hunting. This loss of Africa biodiversity will have far reaching consequences on people’s livelihood, reduced food security, strained water supply and reduced resilience to extreme circumstances to the poor communities (Ash et al., 2010). This has led to development of policies that are critical in ensuring that the biodiversity intrinsic value is safeguarded, and the continent is able to sustain itself.

In efforts to safeguard the sustainability, policies that seek to mitigate this loss to ensure that there is sustainable management and conservation of the biodiversity have been put in place. There have been tremendous efforts in integrating coastal zone and protected area management by the African governments. The policies integrate the development and poverty eradication goals. For instance, the authorities are generating revenues from biodiversity through avenues such as tourism. The obtained earning has been reinvested on managing biodiversity and ameliorating the lives of the local communities.

Every species has an intrinsic role and value in ensuring smooth continuum of the plant earth and if neglected there could be dire consequences. Africa has therefore come up with policies that are keen to recognizing, measuring and managing it natural capital and ecosystem to ensure that the biodiversity is protected. (Chapin, Sala, & Huber-Sannwald, 2013).

References

Ash, N., Blanco, H., Brown, C., Garcia, K., Henrichs, T., & Lucas, N. et al. (2010). Ecosystems and human well-being. Washington, DC: Island Press.

Chapin, F. S. I. I. I., Sala, O. E., & Huber-Sannwald, E. (2013). Global Biodiversity in a Changing Environment: Scenarios for the 21st Century. New York, NY: Springer.

Patton, M. Q. (2020). Blue Marble Evaluation: Premises and principles. New York: The Guilford Press