Nearly half of the 206 protected areas in central Africa are under threat from the oil and gas industries, a report published Tuesday by the Central African Forest Observatory (OFAC) said.

If mining is included, it swells to 60 percent -- or some 800,000 square kilometres (300,000 square miles) -- said Georges Belmond Tchoumba, regional coordinator of the World Wide Fund for Nature's forestry programme in central Africa.

The protected areas of Central Africa cover 15 percent of the land area and five percent of the marine area of the region.

"Permits have already been allocated for 27 percent of protected areas" in 10 African countries, including Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon, Tchoumba told an online conference.

Experts are urging governments in the region to explore using their natural resources more responsibly, striking a compromise between conservation and economic development.

"We are aware of the significant pressure of the extractive industries on protected areas in particular, but also on conservation areas broadly speaking," Tchoumba said.

The extractive industries constitute an economically powerful sector. Meanwhile, several mineral-rich countries such as the Central African Republic are among the world's poorest.

Experts recommended the banning of extractive industries in areas rich in biodiversity. They said these industries could be allowed in other areas under strict guidelines with monitoring to assess their environmental impact.

Related Links
Africa News - Resources, Health, Food

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Sudan's transition faces hurdle of merging paramilitary into army
Khartoum (AFP) June 28, 2021
Integrating a powerful paramilitary force into the army has emerged as the latest stumbling block in Sudan's transition to civilian rule following three decades under ousted strongman Omar al-Bashir. A civilian-military administration has led Sudan since August 2019 under a power-sharing deal that was due to expire next year but was extended after a peace agreement reached in October with several rebel groups. Both deals stipulated the need for reform to the military, including the integration o ... read more