INTERNATIONAL
The environment in subSaharan Africa Certain countries may build environmental protection into their development plans, but such moves may not come quickly "Clean water is of .higher priority than clean air initially; however, attention certainly will be given to clean air," says Gaston Banda-Bafiot, the Central African Republic's ambassador to the U S . He believes that his government will eventually require that in the design of a factory, for example, water pollution control (WPC) will be totally incorporated in the factory's engineering, equipment, and operations. As a professional electrical engineer who was his country's minister of energy before assuming his Washington. post last year, Ambassador Banda-Bafiot has a strong appreciation of environmental matters. He points out that the necessity for resource conservation ,is well recognized in the Central African Republic, and expects that when resource recycling begins in ernest, it will proceed more rapidly in his country than it has in the US., given equal time frames. The priority question Raimi Ojikutu, who was a fellow of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (WWICS, Washington, D.C.) for about 1% years, as well as head of the faculty of anthropology and human biology, and environmental research, University of Lagos (Nigeria), has raised some cogent points. He told ES&T that the environmental protection issue is clearly understood by many African countries and governments, but that economic, political, and social issues intervene, and these often undermine the desire of any of those governments to place priorities on environmental issues as against issues of economic development. The reason, Ojikutu said, is that the importance of the environment is less appreciated among policymakers and economic development planners in those countries, who wonder why environmental matters need not take a "far' back seat" to economic development. However, environmental issues may stubbornly refuse to take that back seat. As Ojikutu said, "For any long-term benefits of economic development, environmental matters 972
Environmental Science &Technology
become a clear issue, particularly when such development will affect not only the ecology or physical environment, but the society itself for which development is meant. Such development's damage becomes irreversible if the resource base of the development is not properly planned. The environment is the most important component of this resource base."
krnoassaoor Danoa-Daruoi
"Controls should be built in plans"
Raimi Ojikutu "Environment seat"'
cannot
take
'back
Overcoming monumental obstacles-not the least of which was suspicion of the intent and motives behind the effort-Ojikutu organized a "highly successful" seminar, sponsored by the WWICS. on problems of human environment in the sub-Saharan African countries, held in Washington, D.C. in March 1973. Response elicited by the seminar (48 delegates from 13 countries attended; six more countries indicated interest) indicated that many of these countries are, in fact, considering how best to approach the task of setting up environmental "machinery" within their governments, and tackling the multitudinous environmental
problems in these countries. This effort would deal not only with the question of poverty, but also with problems resulting from development-particularly in each country's urban areas. While Ojikutu found this response encouraging, he made it plain that economic, political. and social issues are major stumbling blocks to the development of an environmental effort. There are budget and financial problems, as well as technical uncertainties. Thus, in addition to conducting in-country efforts, these African nations may seek assistance and action through cooperation with international or United Nations agencies, or through bilateral agreements. Some national initiatives Countries which already pian active environmental efforts include Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zaire. As of mid-1974, the Gabonese Republic (Gabon) was added to the list. Ojikutu believes that up to now, none of these countries have reached the point at which, through the necessary legislation, they could enforce environmental guidelines or measures among any of the ministries responsible for such activities as economics, industry, and social welfare, to any app'reciabie extent. Nevertheless, guidelines and enforcement might not take too long to come, at least in certain countries. Nigeria, for example, has regulations on some aspects of environmental protection as part of her town and country planning laws and.other laws relating to mining and industry. However, these laws are neither comprehensive nor adequately enforced, according to cognizant authorities in Lagos, the Nigerian capital. To change this situation, the Nigerian government organized the National Coordinating Committee on Human Environment (NCCHE). The NCCHE is an interministerial advisory committee which operates under the aegis of the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Economic Development and Reconstruction in Lagos. The NCCHE will review environmental laws with the aim of making them much more
comprehensive than they are at present, and strengthening their enforcement. It is expected that any penalties resulting from such enforcement would be civil. The NCCHE advises the Nigerian federal government on action programs and control measures necessary for protection of the nation's physical environment. It also coordinates activities of all bodies concerned with such programs on a national basis. The NCCHE has neither a full-time director nor executive machinery which it directly controls; rather, it relies heavily on the executive capacity of existing agencies. The NCCHE was authorized by the Nigerian government in February, and held its first meetina in earlv September. Committees similar to the NCCHE are being formed in each Nigerian state to provide local links to Lagos. However, the NCCHE is not set up to have direct relationships with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP, Nairobi, Kenya), or any other international agency. Nigerian environmental priorities are expected to be, over the near and intermediate term, proper planning of human settlements-layout, housing, transportation, and related efforts waste disposal, covering domestic and industrial wastes I
water pollution control, covering domestic and industrial wastes protection of productive land from degradation through erosion and desert encroachment. Tanzania is very active in wildlife conservation through work being done at the Serengeti Wildlife Research Center and the Tanzanian College for Wildlife; through setting aside generous wildlife preserve areas such as Serengeti National Park; and through heavy punishments for poachers. Other environmental preservation missions include a forestation program and a soil erosion prevention project, both being in Tanzania's five-year plan. Water pollution control is apparently an emerging priority in Tanzania, especially with respect to offshore areas. For example, Tanzania's East African Harbors Corp. Is empowered to impose fines on cargo ships which deliberately pollute the ocean water within the country's 50mile territorial boundary. What others are doing Other sub-Saharan African countries are now setting up or planning governmental environmental machinery. Botswana, in southern Africa, has commenced environmental planning in its Ministry of Mining and Ministry of Wildlife. In addition to wildlife preservation, Botswana also
hopes to avoid environmental degradation which so often results from mining, and to restore land which has been mined. The United Republic of Cameroon, which is noted for carefully planned development, has not forgotten about the environment. Environmental matters are handled by the Ministry of Equipment, Environment, and Land, with assistance from the Ministry of Plan and Territorial Management. Paul Tessa is the Minister of Equipment, Environment, and Land; his ministry is located in Yaounde, Cameroon's capital. Ghana organized the National Environmental Protection Council (NEPC). located at Accra, Ghana's capital. The NEPC's head is E. A. Boateng who heads a 15-member council. The Ghanian NEPC has the job of formulating policy with regard to environmental matters, coordinating national and international liaison with respect to these matters, and advising the government on all such issues. As host nation to UNEP in Nairobi, Kenya has established its own Environmental Secretariat. The Republic of Senegal has created the position of Secretary of State for Protection of Environment at Dakar, and the Republic of Zaire now has an Environmental Service which is in the Office of the President, and is located at Kinshasa. Environment and development In about mid-1974. Gabon, an associate member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), created a ministerial-level office at Libreville, devoted to environmental protection. Gabon is rich in natural resources, and heavy mining, and oil exploration and drilling activities are in that country's immediate future. The Gabonese ambassador to the U.S.. Vincent Mavoungou, and members of his embassy, say that Gabon does not want to see great damage done to the human environment by runaway, uncontrolled oil and mineral exploration and economic development. The feeling in Gabon seems to be that the time for environmental planning is during economic development's early stages for maximum enhancement of human welfare and conservation of natural resources. Hopefully, the Gabonese approach will be shared by the other developing nations of Africa. Should this happy state of affairs indeed materialize, the pace of environmental protection activity in these African countries south of the Sahara could one day equal or surpass that of pollution-laden nations which refer to JJ themselves as "developed." Volume8. Number 12, November 1974
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