Africa 'has to embrace environmentalism'
14 September 2010
It is time for Africa to embrace environmentalism, it has been claimed.
Dr Janice Golding, honorary research associate at the plant conservation unit at the University of Cape Town, South Afrcia, was writing in Business Day when she made the comment.
She observed the continent has to adapt a green ideology if the carbon footprint of the land mass is to be reduced.
In order to achieve this, projects concerning energy and water may need to be instigated.
"Africa also needs to cultivate environmental champions and high thinkers who live by the heart, relate to land and can articulate an alternative indigenous environmental narrative to the western environmental neo-imperialism," Dr Golding added.
She remarked boundaries need to be developed so the philosophy of African environmentalism can be properly defined.
The African Development Bank recently stated there needs to be between $30 billion (£20 billion) and $50 billion of investment in sanitation systems if the area is to improve.