Abstract
Most sub-Saharan African (SSA) nations are governed by traditional economic models of using varied varieties of capital (including human), technological and natural approaches to supply goods and services. This has undoubtedly led to annual economic growth of about 3.2% in several African nations and higher per capita income as some of the major benefits, which have improved the standards of living and social wellbeing but conjointly have led to environmental degradation. In response to the environmental degradation problem, while benchmarking against international policies, this article evaluates approaches to economic development, environmental management, and energy production in the context of climate change. Case studies consider the mine-dependent nations of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the agriculture-dependent nation of Rwanda. In Zambia and DRC, energy efficiency in the mining and metals industries could increase the electrification rate in Zambia and DRC by up to 50%. Additional industrial utilization of solar or wind energy is key to a stable energy supply, economic development and environmental protection. In Rwanda, population growth and land constraints point to economic growth and agricultural improvements as the key to sustainability and sustainable development. These case studies emphasize resource optimization, energy efficiency, renewable energy deployment, strategies to reduce biodiversity loss and environmental degradation, and the improvement of social wellbeing for both present and future generations to achieve an ecologically enhanced sub-Saharan Africa.
Highlights
As nations in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) aspire to attain development, they tend to overexploit their resources in a manner that does not consider the environmental impacts, especially through major economic activities such as agriculture, energy production, and mining
This study explores how economic activities in the sub-Saharan African region may impact the earth’s finite resources and the environment, if not well-planned or if they are unsustainably implemented
Brears highlights six (6) critical characteristics of green growth as [6]: i. to effectively use natural resources as nations, pursue economic growth, ii. to value the ecosystems, iii. to ensure that inter-generational economic policies are preserved, iv. to increase usage of renewable energy resources, Sustainability 2020, 12, 3538 v. to protect the earth and all that live in it from climate-related disasters, vi. to reduce resource wastage. These six characteristics point to the need to maintain a balanced ecosystem, use resources efficiently and reduce climate impacts and waste as nations migrate towards a green economy that is characterized by energy efficiency and use of renewable energy
Summary
As nations in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) aspire to attain development, they tend to overexploit their resources in a manner that does not consider the environmental impacts, especially through major economic activities such as agriculture, energy production, and mining. These economic activities lead to an array of socioeconomic challenges including high resource consumption, diseases, urbanization, impoverishment, inequality and insufficient resources for all, alongside high population growth. To complement the mining and energy sector, agriculture in SSA provides a context for analysis of ecological sustainable development in Rwanda
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