• by IPS Correspondents (harare)
• Saturday, December 17, 1994
• Inter Press Service

HARARE, Dic 17 (IPS) - RAPID POPULATION GROWTH IN SOUTHERN AFRICA IS FAST DEPLETING NATURAL RESOURCES IN THE REGION, WARNS A RECENT ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY.

"THE INCREASING POPULATION IS MULTIPLYING THE EFFECTS OF ALL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN THE REGION," NOTES THE REPORT ENTITLED 'STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN SOUTHERN AFRICA'.

THE REPORT WAS COMPILED BY THE 11-MEMBER SOUTHERN AFRICA DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY (SADC), INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR THE CONSERVATION OF NATURE (IUCN) AND THE SOUTHERN AFRICA RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATION CENTRE (SARDC).

THE STUDY NOTES THE SUB-REGION'S POPULATION OF MORE THAN 136 MILLION PEOPLE WILL DOUBLE IN 24 YEARS.

OVER FIVE MILLION BABIES WERE BORN IN 1993 IN A REGION WHERE POPULATION GROWS AT AN AVERAGE THREE PERCENT ANNUALLY, MAKING IT ONE OF THE WORLD'S FASTEST GROWING ZONES.

SADC IS MADE UP OF ANGOLA, BOTSWANA, LESOTHO, MALAWI, MOZAMBIQUE, NAMIBIA, SOUTH AFRICA, SWAZILAND, TANZANIA, ZAMBIA AND ZIMBABWE.

THE REPORT SAYS WHILE MANY OF THE ISSUES RAISED BY "NORTHERN THINK TANKS AND MEDIA ARE VALID, PEOPLE IN SOUTHERN AFRICA HAVE MORE PRESSING THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT".

FOR EXAMPLE, ABOUT 20 PERCENT OF SOUTHERN AFRICAN SOILS NEED SOME DEGREE OF REHABILITATION AS A RESULT OF OVERGRAZING AND CULTIVATION.

THE SITUATION IS FURTHER COMPOUNDED BY THE FACT THAT FARMERS CANNOT AFFORD FERTILISERS.

ECONOMIC GROWTH IN SOUTHERN AFRICA IS AMONG THE LOWEST IN THE WORLD. WHILE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT IS GROWING AT A SLOWER PACE THAN POPULATION IN VIRTUALLY ALL COUNTRIES, PER CAPITA INCOME DECLINED BY AN AVERAGE 1.1 PERCENT ANNUALLY DURING 1982 TO 1992.

TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF A GROWING POPULATION, SUPPLIES WILL HAVE TO INCREASE BY FOUR OR FIVE PERCENT, AN ENORMOUS CHALLENGE IN AN AREA WHERE PRODUCTION HAS FALLEN BY UP TO 3.7 PERCENT EACH YEAR BETWEEN 1979 AND 1991.

STATISTICS AVAILABLE FOR BOTSWANA, LESOTHO, MALAWI, NAMIBIA AND SOUTH AFRICA SHOW NUMBERS OF PEOPLE IN ABSOLUTE POVERTY RANGE FROM 49 TO 78 PERCENT.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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