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African governments asked to save environment
2008-03-02 09:58:38
By Deodatus Mfugale recently in Nouakchott, Mauritania
Members of the African Network of Environmental Journalists (ANEJ) have said that Africa is currently threatened by a drastic deterioration of its environment making the continent highly vulnerable and have thus called for immediate actions by governments.
After a three-day meeting that ended recently the journalists noted also that Africa’s natural resources are not only exploited unsustainably but most plants and animal species are under threat of extinction as the continent`s biodiversity is under constant threat not only as result of intensive human activities but also from natural factors such as desertification and climate change.
``The basic challenge in Africa lies in the absence of a collective political will and reliable information on the stakes and challenges facing the continent’s environment,`` a statement they released reads in part.
It adds that despite significant efforts invested by government leaders of some African countries to ensure that Object Seven of the Millennium Development Goals is achieved; results on the ground remain embarrassingly disappointing.
The journalists said that the solution must come from African governments and thus appealed to the AU Chairman and Tanzania`s President Jakaya Kikwete to make conservation of the natural environment an important agenda in the continental body’s activities instead of taking it as ``that other thing.``
Yet, ANEJ says since governments are bureaucratic and slow in taking action, a collective, intensive, aggressive and sustained media campaign to enable the implementation of environmental policies in Africa is urgent and imperative.
The African media should be more proactive; positioning itself as veritable partners for the development of Africa.
``This is apparently the only means to force African leaders to make environmental management a priority,`` the statement stresses.
Earlier when opening the meeting, Mauritanian Prime Minister Zein Ould Zeidane said that environmental issues are of international concern as they affect development structures and quality of lives, stressing: ``African governments must confront these challenges with coordinated effort and action.``
On his part, the President of ANEJ, Sidi el Moctar Cheguer, explained that African governments must act fast and now to confront environmental problems as currently ecosystems are in a more serious danger than ever before.
``Journalists have the duty to make governments sit up and act on environmental degradation by helping them to make informed decisions that should be followed by appropriate action,`` he said.
The meeting which was attended by journalists from 20 African countries was financed by the European Union.
It was also attended by representatives from UNEP, EU, and scientists and experts from within and outside Mauritania.
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