Environmental Pollution: Threats, Impact on Biodiversity, and Protection Strategies

Abstract

Africa boasts immense natural and mineral resources, as they form the skeletal structure of the economy. These resources are distributed across the continent, on land, along the shoreline, and even in the deeper regions of the oceans. Over the last decades, the increased rate of industrialization and urbanization coupled with the increasing human population has contributed in a great way to the menace being caused by pollution. Over-exploitation, in terms of excessive or indiscriminate usage of resources, causes pollution, thereby leading to unsustainability in resource management. Conversely, issues of conflicts over resources and insecurity have also been on the increase most especially along the coastline of the African countries. The Niger-Delta region of Nigeria has been plagued with pollution resulting from oil spillage which has had a grave impact on the life of aquatic and terrestrial animals likewise the plant life. Many other countries within Africa have several industries producing a variety of products such as plastics, iron, pesticides, herbicides, paper, and several others of which their wastes degrade the environment. Countries located along the West African coast and South Africa are known for emitting high amounts of mercury due to their gold mining and coal combustion activities. Discharges or wastes from these industries go into the environment causing air and water pollution. Air pollutants, present within the atmosphere, pollute the water and soil in the form of atmospheric deposition. The major sources of water pollution are the urban and industrial effluent discharges into the aquatic environment. Most countries in Africa do not have enforced standards for effluent discharge into surface waters. All these pollutants affect aquatic biodiversity, as it leads to the migration of fish species from the polluted area in search of survival. The majority of the coastal waters in Africa are faced with this challenge, hence the need to find an immediate solution to help conserve aquatic life. To this end, this chapter will elaborate on the various sources of pollution and their impacts on the environment and biodiversity.