Environmental Sustainability: Relevance of Forensic Insects and Other Ecosystem Services in Africa

Abstract

Greater percentage of African people depend on exploring the natural resources for agriculture, herding, fishing, and hunting as a means of livelihood. The manner and rate that these practices are carried out are not sustainable in line with the United Nations sustainable development goals that center on getting natural sources of livelihood cautiously and maintain a quality and sustainable environment. The environment is man’s surroundings in which he lives and carries out his day-to-day activities and, perhaps, does not live in an isolation; hence, he is biologically surrounded by plants and animals. Environmental sustainability requires awareness and attitudinal behavior to ones need for natural resources and bearing in mind that any abuse on them today will take revenge on the future generation. It appreciates population growth, sustainable cultivation, and yield, sustainable disposal of wastes as well as economic development and industrialization that are anchored on renewable resources. Insects among the animal groups play a useful role in plant reproduction as part of ecological services that are germane for the survival of human beings man and animals and help to maintain and sustain the environment for the benefit of man. The relevance of insects as regards crops’ propagation, biological monitoring of polluted ecosystems, organic matter decomposers, food for man and animals is presented in this chapter. Farming activities, burning of fossil fuels, flaring of gases, methods of disposing urban wastes, and climate change are highlighted as human distortions and extortions that are degrading African environment against environmental sustainability for insects of special interest. The use of insects’ of forensic relevance in criminal investigation as a vanguard for sustainable environment in Africa is advocated for as a mitigation approach in sustaining insects’ biodiversity of African environment.