Environmental Education and Poverty Reduction in Africa

Abstract

The African environment poses formidable problems for sustainable socioeconomic development. Among these are unpredictable and increasing incidence of droughts, aridity, and desertification; decline in agricultural and natural resources productivity; water shortages for plants, animals, and humans; vector- and water-borne diseases; HIV/AIDS pandemic; unemployment; poverty; and crime. The paper highlights the socioeconomic development impediments within the continent that elevate poverty level. It analyses the extent and variation in poverty in Africa and identifies Environmental Education (EE) as one of the means of solving poverty problem in the continent through mass mobilization, enlightenment programs and introduction of EE at all levels of learning (formal and non-formal educational programs).