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Environmental Challenges: West Africa (Rahni Hingoranee)

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Environmental Challenges: West Africa (Rahni Hingoranee)

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West Africa is faced with the constant battle of numerous environmental challenges that compensate the general welfare of its people. Deforestation is a growing issue in the region. First, the lumber industry practice unsustainable logging that reduces the amount of trees in some of the areas natural forests and rain forests. Farming, mining, and settlement also contribute to the deforestation of the area. To combat this issue, industries that are performing these harmful tasks must be addressed by the government to stop the threat of deforestation, erosion and reduction of natural biodiversity. Additionally, humans are causing the region's beloved Lake Chad to shrink. The usage of its water for irrigation and the creation of dams by its rivers are resulting in a reduction, as well as that of its fish population. Regulations must be set on the usage of the lake's resources by farmers and fishers to address this issue.

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By Akshita Raghuvanshi

West Africa is struck with the vicious cycle of survival being valued over the environment, but detriment the environment leads to further survival struggles. Polluted water supplies lead to disease and poisoning of soil, overworked soil leads to erosion and desertification, as do droughts and deforestation. Efforts to address these environmental issues include conservation farming, efforts for water treatment plants, and improved sanitation

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One of the major environmental challenges in west Africa is the scarcity of water and droughts. West Africa commonly receives droughts, this means that there is very little rain over a long period of time. Because of this, water levels of lakes and rivers are depleting. This is causing land to become less arable and become desert, or go through the process of desertification.

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Environmental Challenges Facing West Africa 

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Environmental Challenges Facing West Africa 

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By: Olivia Lamb
West Africa has been forced to face a variety of environmental challenges. One major challenge West Africa is facing is the lack of clean water and food. West Africa simply has too many people to provide nutritional food and water for, resulting in excessive starvation. This is being combated by organizations promoting farming and water conservation. Another challenge West Africa is facing is desertification. To try and prevent desertification from spreading, organizations and farmers are working together to reverse the process by planting more greens.

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By Matt Waterman

Issues such as lack of freshwater plague the region of West Africa. Currently, the majority of people are located in close proximity to freshwater sources for drinking and farming. Organizations have been formed to gather the scarce resource and provide safer drinking water for the people of West Africa. The drought experienced by West Africa has also contributed to growing desertification. Many organizations have promoted better farming techniques and resource management to protect the limited farmland left in the region.

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By Matt Waterman

West Africa is

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Environmental Challenges of West Africa by Asher Smith

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Environmental Challenges of West Africa by Asher Smith

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Two environmental challenges facing West Africa are desertification and the lack of clean water. Overgrazing and deforestation has caused desertification to occur in West Africa. To prevent this, farmers are using traditional farming methods to reverse desertification. Also, an NGO called Oxfam is helping by building stone contour embankments to control runoff, and farmers are planting native, drought-resistant plants in their fields to reduce soil erosion, another cause of desertification. Water is a valuable resource in West Africa but much of it is polluted. The Global Water Initiative is working with West Africa to give them access to clean water as well as sanitation. The United Nations created the IWRM project to promote the development of water and land resources.

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Environmental challenges facing West Africa 

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Environmental challenges facing West Africa 

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By: Jack Taylor
There are many challenges facing West Africa right now. To prominent ones are the lack of food and the desertification and erosion of farmland. A major problem is the lack of food for the population. As the population keeps increasing at a high rate more and more food is needed to feed them. Ways this is being fixed is organization in and out of the country are working with farmers in the area to use better water and land management techniques with irrigation to improve crop quality and yields. Also another issue facing the region is the desertification and erosion of land. This is a major issue because it relates to the food shortages in the area. To prevent this from happening NGO and other groups help build escarpments and other things to help control water and irrigate dry fields. Also farmers help restore the land by using traditional techniques like planting pits.

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By: Elena Klatt

Many environmental problems continue to plague West Africa everyday. One example of an environmental challenge faced by West Africa is poor sanitation and water. Contaminated water supplies and poor bathroom systems lead to illness and disease. West Africa is trying to combat these issues by improving healthcare, education, and disposing  waste properly. By doing this, water will be cleaner and illness can be treated more easily. Another major environmental issue West Africa faces is desertification. Due to overgrazed and overworked soils and deforestation, land becomes less arable. This negatively affects farmers and populations that depend on agriculture. In turn this depletes the food stock in West Africa. Farmers have tried to reverse the effects of desertification by applying traditional land-management practices like planting pits to regain dry land. In addition NGOs like Oxfam have built stone embankments to control water runoff which revives previously dried out soil. Although West Africa faces many environmental problems, many solutions are being applied to try and revive the damaged environment.

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Environmental Challenges in West Africa by Nicholas Khami

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Environmental Challenges in West Africa by Nicholas Khami

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The government faces two main problems. The first of which is desertification caused by the degradation of land and drought. The second of which is Fresh Water shortages. To address the problem of desertification some farmers have begun to use traditional land-management practices such as planting pits. And a NGO called Oxfam International has also helped to address to desertification by helping people build stone contour embankments to control rainwater runoff and it has been incredibly effective. To address water shortages governments are trying to build water treatment plants. And several NGOs such as the Global Water Initiative and the UN are helping to develop water resources and teach people in the area better water management techniques.

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West Africa: Envirometal Challenges (Jacob Wilson)

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West Africa: Envirometal Challenges (Jacob Wilson)

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West Africa has faced a variety of challenges. One example of this would be their lack of carrying capcity to handle enough people. Currently they are on track to have to many people in their region to feed it. this could cause probelms like starvation in the area and might cause problems with the land in the future if people try to plant too many crops which leads me into another issue they have which is desertification. Desertification has been drying up their land, making it unusable since post-colonial times. People have been trying to plant to many crops in one area which leads to the soil being hurt. We can resolve these issues by lowing the birth rate and creating immigration from the region.

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Desertification is a problem on West Africa's environment and people. Desertification here has been caused here by overgrazing, the clearing of forests, heavy use of machinery, and frequent tilling. Desertification causes agriculture, livestock, and the areas natural biodiversity to suffer.  These problems can cause the drop in food production for the populations needs. Farmers are taking action to revers desertification by reviving traditional land-management practices. Practices include farmers using planting pits to take back very dry land. Farmers also gained help from the NGO Oxfam to build stone contour bunds to control runoff water. Farmers have also started replanting native plants in and around crop fields to improve the fertility of the soil and reduce erosion.
Another issue in the environment of West Africa is the lack of clean freshwater. The lack of these waters can kill large numbers of people and slow economic development. People such as President Goodluck Jonathan are attempting to address these water shortages in places like Benue. Water treatment plants are planed to bring Benue clean water daily. Since groups recognize that water is a vital part in economic and social development of West Africa they also plan to increase water resources.

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Hannah Matthews
West Africa exhibits several environmental challenges every day. These include water pollution and shortage, which affect the well-being and sanitation of the people living there. Many parts of West Africa experience droughts, primarily because of desertification and expansion of the Sahara. An important example is in Lake Chad. Many factors, including drought, has caused Lake Chad to shrink to one third of its size since 1995. Lake Chad is a primary freshwater source for many countries in the sub region, which means some countries are finding other sources of freshwater. Some of these water sources are heavily polluted, which affects health and wellness conditions of West Africans. The polluted water also threatens the growing informal settlements near cities where the poor have migrated, seeking job opportunities. In order to fight these issues, the government of Nigeria has developed a water treatment plant, which delivers freshwater to the people of Benue, Nigeria. Other organizations, like the GWI (Global Water Initiative), helps get freshwater to other locations.

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West Africa faces many environmental challenges daily. One being desertification which is the process by which fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture. To combat this challenge, some farmers have developed land-management techniques to help save farmland. Furthermore, another challenge West Africa faces is water shortages. The lack of water resources makes water scarce to all the people who live there. To combat this challenge, several people have formed organizations to help gather clean water which is usable and drinkable to all the residents of that region.

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Environmental Problems in West Africa Sarah Aguilar 

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Environmental Problems in West Africa Sarah Aguilar 

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West Africa faces erosion and drought. Because the majority of the population relies on agriculture as a main economic activity, damaged land is a significant problem. Soil erosion can lead to the loss of fertile land. Making farming more difficult, less land can affect food production. Food production can fall short of the population’s needs, especially for a population that is rapidly increasing. Food instability, because of the breakdown of farming, may lead to political instability. The growing population in Western Africa also is struggling with water shortages.  Mismanagement of water is detrimental, since it is used for irrigation, but is especially problematic because it is a challenge for people to have enough for consumption. As cities expand, pressure is put on existing infrastructure. For example, the state of Benue does not have the proper pipe structure to deliver clean drinking water. The Global Water Initiative is one organization that is combating water shortage. It will improve access to clean water for countries involved, a success already seen in Ghana where access has increased by 50-80 %. The Water Resource Management project is also trying develop the management of water. Techniques such as conservation farming is a way to protect farmland and increase production. Oxfam International has planted trees and shrubs to improve soil fertility and reduce erosion.

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Environmental Challenges of West Africa by Meghana Shenoy

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Environmental Challenges of West Africa by Meghana Shenoy

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Several challenges are currently being faced by West African governments as well as by the people of the subregion. These conflicts are not only a problem due to how they effect the biosphere of our planet, but also because these issues are causing sanitation and health issues by the people of West Africa. Two major problems include the depletion of natural resources and water pollution. The depletion of natural resources due to a growing population has significantly effected the health of the people by causing malnutrition, famine, and poverty. However, with the use of sustainable technologies, people are taking steps to combat this problem. These technologies include solar powered cooktops as well as irrigation pumps that do not harm the environment. Another major problem being faced by West Africa is droughts and the struggle to maintain freshwater amounts due to water pollution. In order to combat this issue in Benue, Nigeria, the government developed a water treatment plant that delivers freshwater to the people of Benue. In addition, organizations such as The Global Water Initiative works to provide clean water to multiple locations. Overtime, the impacts of organizations and government efforts can create positive long term effects for West Africa.