Degradation In sub-Saharan Africa Research Articles

Understanding the nexus: economic complexity and environmental degradation in Sub-Saharan Africa

Understanding the nexus: economic complexity and environmental degradation in Sub-Saharan Africa

Effect of soil and water conservation practices and slope gradient on organic carbon stocks micronutrients: A case study on Kulkullessa sub-watershed, Eastern Ethiopia

Soil degradation in sub-Saharan Africa is a serious problem that causes declines in agricultural productivity linked to hunger and poverty. The study was conducted in the Kulkullessa sub-watershed of Goro Gutu District in Eastern Ethiopia to assess the effects of climate-smart soil and water conservation (SWC) practices and slope gradient on selected physicochemical properties of the soil and the soil’s organic carbon stocks. The farmland conserved by stone bund (SB), bench terrace (BT), and gras strip (GS) five years after construction with two slope gradients (15-20%) and (21-30%) was selected. Twenty-four composite soil samples were collected from a depth of 20 cm and tested in the Haramaya University soil laboratory. The study found that climate-smart SWC practices were very effective on the soil physicochemical properties and soil organic carbon stock (SOCS) of the study area. Similarly, the slope gradient brought considerable variation in soil physicochemical properties and soil organic carbon stock. On farmland that a bench terrace had preserved, the bulk density (BD) value was lower. The recorded value for total porosity on the farmland conserved by BT was also positively higher and significant (p ≤ 0.05). Likewise, the higher mean values for micronutrients and SOCS were recorded on farmlands conserved by SB, BT, and GS in contrast to the values recorded on non-conserved farmland (NCF) in the study area. Based on the study findings, climate-smart soil water and conservation practices have outstanding potential for improving soil physicochemical properties essential for agricultural crop production, climate change adaptation, and strengthening smallholder farmers’ resilience.

Economic Growth, Globalization, and Governance as Determinants of Environmental Quality in Sub-Saharan Africa

Even though Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is experiencing unsustainable environmental degradation just like the rest of the world, most environmental health studies have focused mainly on the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries and other emerging markets. Unimpeded environmental degradation portends many environmental problems with enormous economic and social costs. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the impact of socio-economic, global, and governance factors on environmental sustainability in SSA. Understanding the interaction of these factors will be of immense assistance to policymakers and other officials charged with mitigating environmental degradation in SSA. Utilizing data from 42 countries in SSA covering 1970 - 2018, our empirical estimations using the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) technique revealed that the primary determinant of environmental performance in SSA is the level of economic activities. The results show a statistically significant positive relationship between economic activities (GDP) and environmental performance. This result does not support the existence of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) in SSA. Surprisingly, the level of public debt had a statistically significant positive impact on environmental performance. The governance variables signifying the impact of government showed mixed results as political stability, control of corruption, and regulatory quality were not statistically significant, whereas the rule of law, government effectiveness, and institutional strength showed a statistically significant positive impact on environmental performance. Trade openness and population density did not have any statistically significant impact on environmental performance. Mitigating environmental degradation in SSA requires policies that promote income growth and debt forgiveness.

Military Expenditure, Governance, and Environmental Degradation in Sub-Saharan Africa

This article examines how good governance counteracts the effects of military expenditure on carbon emissions in forty African countries. The Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) is used to analyze time series data from 2010 to 2020. Military expenditure per capita is used to measure military expenditure per penetration, while CO2 emissions per capita are used as an indicator of environmental degradation. The following findings are established. First, from the non-interactive regressions, we find suggestive evidence that arms expenditure increases CO2 emissions. All indicators of good governance contribute to the increase of CO2 emissions. Second, with interactive regressions, we find that improved governance has a negative effect on CO2 emissions per capita. Third, the results are robust to a sensitivity check, considering the synergy effects of governance. This paper provides policy recommendations on low-carbon economies, military expenditure and governance that could help to ensure environmental sustainability by reducing CO2 emissions. In addition, the study findings can provide guidance to other developing countries seeking to implement effective approaches to environmental sustainability while strengthening climate change mitigation and adaptation measures.

Infrastructure Development's role in environmental degradation in sub-Saharan Africa: Impacts and transmission channels

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has recently experienced an increase in infrastructure endowments. Meanwhile, Africa's ecological reserves have rapidly been degrading. This study assessed: (i) how different types of infrastructure have affected ecological footprints and (ii) how agricultural production, urbanisation, and human capital have mitigated these effects. Among the variables we utilize to reach our objectives are ecological footprint, infrastructure, ICT index, education index, urbanization, agriculture, trade, renewable energy consumption, and institutional quality. Based on the findings of the system GMM methodology for 39 SSA economies between 2004 and 2020, environmental degradation has been aggravated in the region due to infrastructure development. Infrastructure development indexes of different types have produced the same results. In addition, while urbanisation has tended to weaken the harmful effects of expanding access to; water, sanitation, and ICT infrastructure, it strengthened the same effect for electricity and transportation infrastructure. It was also determined that human capital amplified the harmful effects of electricity generation and ICT infrastructure on the environment. In addition, agricultural production weakened the negative environmental effects of ICT. In light of the study's findings, practical policy implications have been discussed.

Fertilizers for food and nutrition security in sub-Saharan Africa: An overview of soil health implications

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) faces chronic food insecurity associated with soil degradation and the peculiar aftermath of climate change and exacerbated by rising population and historically poor agricultural practices. Notably, use of mineral fertilizers has the potential to counteract soil degradation in SSA; it drives an increased agricultural production required to feed the rising population while sustaining the quality and health of soils. However, limited financial resources deprive SSA of the promise of fertilizers, wherein application rates are historically low, and regimes are characterized by unbalanced nutrient composition and poor fertilizer quality. Although current global fertilizer use is generally characterized by low efficiency, SSA is most affected due to the already low usage and the quality of available fertilizer products. About 70% of fertilizer-nitrogen is lost through unregulated transformation to ammonia, nitrous oxide, and nitrate that are either volatilized or emitted into the atmosphere or leached into water bodies. Similarly, the preponderance of fertilizer-phosphorus is lost via run-off and leaching, unavailing it to plants while overloading streams and rivers and, together with nitrate, causing eutrophication. These environmental problems are accentuated in SSA where fertilizer quantity and quality issues are already a limiting factor. Notably, recent advances happening outside of SSA indicate that nutrients, when strategically formulated, such as by nano packaging, (bio)polymer encapsulation, and tunable to respond to environmental cues, can provide multiple outcomes, particularly, healthy soils with higher productivity. Therefore, presumably, a proper synthesis of the gamut of soil properties influencing plant nutrient release and availability, options for plant exposure and uptake is critical for realizing these benefits in SSA. Despite these possibilities, there is a lack of deeper context on fertilizer-related issues as they affect food and nutrition security and the health of soils in SSA. This paper provides an overview of the fertilizer-nutrient and associated agronomic, food insecurity and soil environmental challenges and opportunities, which though not exclusive to SSA per se, can be reasoned with the peculiarity of the region. This provides the impetus to increase fertilizer use efficiency, improve soil and environmental health, sustainable crop production, and food and nutrition security in SSA.

Military Expenditure, Governance, and Environmental Degradation in Sub-Saharan Africa

Military Expenditure, Governance, and Environmental Degradation in Sub-Saharan Africa

Asymmetric effect of renewable energy consumption and economic growth on environmental degradation in sub-Saharan Africa

PurposeWhile there are enormous studies on the determinants of environmental degradation, empirical studies on the effect of renewable energy consumption and economic growth on the environment remain limited. The purpose of this paper is to examine the asymmetric effect of renewable energy consumption and economic growth on environmental degradation in 31 selected sub-Saharan African countries spanning from 1990 to 2018.Design/methodology/approachTo examine possible asymmetric effects of the exogenous variables on environmental degradation, we used the panel nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag approach and secondary data was sourced from the World Bank (2021).FindingsThe cointegration test results suggest that there is a long-run cointegration among the variables whereas our main findings indicate that environmental degradation responds asymmetrically to changes in renewable energy consumption and economic growth. The results further reveal that both positive and negative shocks in renewable energy consumption reduce environmental degradation. On the other hand, positive and negative shocks in economic growth increase environmental degradation in the long run.Research limitations/implicationsThe implications of this study include the need for policymakers in sub-Saharan Africa to encourage the utilization of renewable energy as it reduces environmental degradation. Also, governments in the subregion should gradually replace the usage of fossil fuels by adapting renewable energy sources so as to achieve higher economic growth.Originality/valueThe positive and negative shocks of renewable energy consumption and economic growth on environmental degradation are examined to ascertain their asymmetric relationships.

Exploring the nexus between natural resource depletion, renewable energy use, and environmental degradation in sub-Saharan Africa.

This study explores the nexus between natural resource depletion, renewable energy use, and environmental degradation in 48 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries from the period 2000 to 2020 using generalized panel quantile regression. The findings show that, at 90th quantiles the magnitude of natural resource depletion is positive and stronger associated with environmental degradation in SSA. This is probably attributed by countries with higher natural resource depletion such as Congo Republic (37.10%), Equatorial Guinea (27.60%), Angola (21.14%), Gabon (12.84%), Chad (12.19%), Burundi (8.92%), Uganda (6.16%), and Congo Democratic (5.24%). Furthermore, at lower quantiles (30th and 10th), natural resource depletion negatively affects environmental degradation in SSA. This might be attributed by countries with negligible natural resource depletion like Carbo Verde (0.16%), Central African Republic (0.04%), Comoros (1.17%), Eswatini (0.01%), Gambia (0.92%), Guinea-Bissau (0.33%), and Madagascar (0.07%). Moreover, the findings show that renewable energy use reduces environmental degradation and is statistically significant at almost all quantiles. Finally, the findings reveal that industrialization, trade, and economic growth all contribute to environmental degradation (i.e. carbon emissions) in SSA. The policy implication is to adopt measures that reduce poverty, which is linked to natural resource depletion, and scale up renewable energy use technologies for SSA. Policymakers should develop strategies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and enable better use of natural resources by enforcing environmental laws. Concurrently, we propose natural resource management to be multi-sectoral and integrated into institutional structures by allocating funds to the natural resources sector for intervention programs in SSA countries.

Economic growth, international trade, and environmental degradation in Sub-Saharan Africa

PurposeThis study investigates the relationship between economic growth, international trade, and environmental degradation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), focusing on the validity of the environmental Kuznets hypothesis (EKC), the pollution havens hypothesis (PHH), and the factor endowment hypothesis (FEH).Design/methodology/approachThe study uses annual data for 41 SSA countries between 1990 and 2017 and employs the bias-corrected least square dummy variable (LSDVC) estimation techniques. Environmental degradation is indicated by carbon dioxide (CO2), delicate particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions, and deforestation.FindingsThe results confirm the validity of the EKC hypothesis for PM2.5 emissions and deforestation but not for CO2 emissions. The results also indicate that international trade reduces deforestation and that both the PHH and FEH are valid for CO2 emission but not for PM2.5 emissions and deforestation.Practical implicationsIn this paper, the authors are able to illustrate that both economic growth and international trade can harm the environment if unchecked. Therefore, the conclusion of this study offers policy options through which SSA countries can achieve desired economic growth goals without affecting environmental quality. The study can be a benchmark for environmental policy in the region.Originality/valueThe authors provide an in-depth discussion of the growth-trade-environmental degradation nexus in SSA. The EKC, PHH, and FEH’s validity confirm that economic growth remains a threat to the local natural environment in SSA. Hence, the need for a trade-off between economic growth needs and environmental degradation and understanding where to compromise to achieve SSA's economic development priorities.

Soil nutrients and maize yields responses to indigenous agroforestry tree post-fallows management in Tanzania

Agriculture is characterized by low production and expansion into forests and woodlands rather than increased productivity leading to deforestation and land degradation in sub-Saharan Africa. Use of appropriate low input agricultural and other land management technologies may increase production and benefit smallholder farmers through increased productivity in already degraded land. A field experiment was established to assess tree fallows and tree coppice intercropping of indigenous agroforestry tree species (Albizia harveyi and Albizia versicolor) for soil fertility and maize yield improvements in Morogoro, Tanzania. A. versicolor tree fallows recorded significantly (p < 0.05) highest amounts of soil total nitrogen, extractable phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and potassium in 0 - 15 cm soil depth compared to the A. harveyi tree fallows and continuous cropping. A. harveyi tree fallow recorded significantly (p < 0.05) higher amounts of organic carbon and calcium than the continuous cropping system. In comparison with continuous cropping, amount of organic carbon was higher by 41% and 56% in A. harveyi and A. versicolor tree fallows, respectively. During the first cropping season, yields of grains (1.26 Mg ha−1), cobs (0.3 Mg ha−1) and stovers (2.43 Mg ha−1) in maize intercropped with A. versicolor coppices were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those of maize intercropped with A. harveyi coppices (0.74 Mg ha−1, 0.2 Mg ha−1, 1.49 Mg ha−1) and maize in continuous cropping system (0.29 Mg ha−1, 0.06 Mg ha−1 and 1.06 Mg ha−1). During the second cropping season, yields of maize stovers, height and diameter growth were lower in intercropped maize relative to continuous cropping by 98% to 98.7%, 14.8% to 15.3% and 46.4% to 81.0% respectively; due to increasing competition imposed by growing coppices. The studied indigenous agroforestry tree species are recommended for rotational woodlots and short rotation coppice systems to enhance agricultural productivity and safeguard the environment.

What Influences Farmer’s Adoption Lag for Soil and Water Conservation Practices? Evidence from Sio-Malaba Malakisi River Basin of Kenya and Uganda Borders

Agricultural intensification and expansion efforts aimed at feeding increasing populations have led to soil degradation globally. Due to their suitability for resource-constrained farmers, and potential positive impacts on agricultural land improvement, Soil and Water Conservation Practices (SWCPs) are recommended as a solution to soil degradation in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). However, the adoption rates of SWCPs are low and farmers who adopt them do not adopt on time. There is a lag between the time when farmers first learn about SWCPs and the time of adoption. This study examines the factors influencing adoption lag for Soil and Water Conservation Practices among smallholder farmers in the Sio-Malaba Malakisi River Basin border region of Kenya and Uganda. We utilize data collected from 506 randomly selected households and use the duration analysis model to analyze the data. Results show that the average adoption lag of SWCPs in the study area was about 10 years. Further, reduction in adoption lag is associated with household size, number of accessible markets, access to credit, age of the household head, farm size owned, and tropical livestock units. On the other hand, access to off-farm income and household location in Uganda are associated with increased adoption lag of SWCPs. Participation in social groups, households being male-headed, and education of the household head showed mixed effects on adoption lag, depending on the SWCP of focus. Strengthening farmer social networks and access to credit and markets are recommended as possible interventions to promote the timely adoption of SWCPs.

The effect of agricultural total factor productivity on environmental degradation in sub-Saharan Africa

The debates on the effect of agricultural productivity on environmental quality have received great importance from researchers and policymakers. On one hand, agricultural productivity is considered to promote economic growth and environmental quality, and on the other hand, increase profitability through higher agricultural productivity encourages cropland expansion which causes deforestation and degrades the environment. In view of the foregoing, this study attempts to examine the effect of agricultural total factor productivity on carbon dioxide emissions using a panel of 38 sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries over the period 1981–2016. The outcome from the Fully Modified Ordinal Least Square and Canonical Cointegration Regression models reveal that the link between agricultural total factor productivity and carbon dioxide emissions in SSA shows a U-shaped relationship. This implies that agricultural productivity initially reduces carbon dioxide emissions to a certain point, beyond which higher agricultural productivity increases carbon dioxide emissions, contradicting the Borlaug hypothesis. Likewise, income has a U-shaped relationship with carbon dioxide emissions, implying that the Environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis does not hold for SSA. Further findings show that urbanization and trade openness increase carbon dioxide emissions. Thus, policies that improve environmental outcomes in the agricultural sector should be promoted.

Transmission channels and indirect effects in the relationship between institutions and environmental degradation in Sub-Saharan Africa

Transmission channels and indirect effects in the relationship between institutions and environmental degradation in Sub-Saharan Africa

A community-GIS supported dryland use and cover change assessment: The case of the Njemps flats in Kenya

Land use and Land Cover Changes (LULCC) are a major cause of environmental degradation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) drylands and hence a serious problem to sustainable utilization and development of...

Transmission channels and indirect effects in the relationship between institutions and environmental degradation in Sub-Saharan Africa

Transmission channels and indirect effects in the relationship between institutions and environmental degradation in Sub-Saharan Africa

Food Security, Fertility Differentials and Land Degradation in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Dynamic Framework

Food Security, Fertility Differentials and Land Degradation in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Dynamic Framework

Determinants of smallholder farmers’ adoption of short-term and long-term sustainable land management practices

AbstractDespite increasing land degradation in sub-Saharan Africa, investment in sustainable land management (SLM) remains low. Empirical evidence show that smallholder farmers tend to prioritize investing in SLM practices with short-term turnover—e.g., composting and crop residue integration—in order to improve soil fertility and yields to the neglect of practices like agroforestry whose benefits tend to materialize in a relatively longer period. While it is crucial for farmers to prioritize both short-term and long-term SLM practices for the maintenance of overall ecosystem health, the factors that shape the concurrent adoption of short-term and long-term SLM practices remain underexplored. Using data from a cross-sectional survey with smallholder farming households (n = 512) in Malawi, we employed logistic regression to examine the determinants of the concurrent adoption of short-term and long-term SLM practices. Our findings show that plot size, farmer-to-farmer knowledge sharing, presence of a chronically ill person in the household, active household labor size, wealth and women's autonomy are noteworthy determinants. A unit increase in plot size was associated with increased odds (OR = 1.41, p &lt; 0.01) of simultaneously adopting short-term and long-term SLM practices. Similarly, a unit increase in the active labor size of the household (OR = 1.30, p &lt; 0.001) was positively associated with the concurrent adoption of short-term and long-term SLM practices. Households with no chronically sick person were 3.2 times more likely to adopt short-term and long-term SLM practices simulataneously compared to those with chronically sick persons. Farming households that exchanged farming information (OR = 2.50, p &lt; 0.001) with other households had significantly higher odds of adopting short-term and long-term SLM practices concurrently than those that did not share farming information. Compared to households in the poorest wealth category, those in the richer (OR = 3.14, p &lt; 0.001) and richest (OR = 3.64, p &lt; 0.001) wealth categories were both significantly more likely to adopt short-term and long-term SLM practices concurrently. These findings suggest that initiatives targeted at promoting the holistic adoption of SLM practices—a combination of both short-term and long-term practices—must pay attention to contextual nuances including household wealth, gender, farmer training and land access dynamics.

How Does the Shadow Economy Affect Environmental Quality in Sub-Saharan Africa? Evidence from Heterogeneous Panel Estimations

This paper empirically examines how the size of the shadow economy affects environmental quality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We apply the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) methodology to a panel of 22 SSA countries over the 1991–2015 period. Findings show that there is a negative relationship between the size of the shadow economy (in percentage of GDP) and CO2 emission both in the long and short run. Also, the size of shadow economy is found to be inversely related to CO2 emission in the long run for all income groups, but this effect is statistically significant only within the subpanel of lower-middle-income countries. Consistent with the scale effect, our findings suggest that there is no evidence that the shadow economy increases environmental degradation in SSA.

Monitoring intra and inter annual dynamics of forest degradation from charcoal production in Southern Africa with Sentinel – 2 imagery

The contribution of forest degradation to changes in forest carbon stocks remains poorly quantified and constitutes a main source of uncertainty in the forest carbon budget. Charcoal production is a major source of forest degradation in sub-Saharan Africa. We used multitemporal Sentinel-2 imagery to monitor and quantify forest degradation extent in the main supplying area of a major urban center of southern Africa over a 4-year period. We implemented an indirect approach combining Sentinel-2 imagery to map kiln and field measurements to estimate AGB removals and carbon losses from charcoal production. This work generated 10 m resolution maps of forest degradation extent from charcoal production in the study area at quarterly intervals from 2016–2019. These maps reveal an intense and rapid forest degradation process and expose the spatial and temporal patterns of forest degradation from charcoal production with high detail. The total area under charcoal production over the study period reached 26,647 ha (SD = 320.8) and the forest degradation front advanced 10.5 km in a 4-year period, with an average of 19.4 ha of woodlands degraded daily. By the end of 2019, charcoal production disturbed most mopane stands in the study area and woodland fragmentation increased in 70.4 % of the mopane woodlands. We estimated that charcoal production was responsible for 2,568,761 Mg (SD = 42,130) of aboveground biomass extracted from the forest and 1,284,381 Mg (SD = 21,075) of carbon loss. The magnitude of these figures underlines the relevance of charcoal production as a main cause of forest cover change and remarks the existing uncertainties in the quantification of forest degradation processes. These results illustrate the potential of multitemporal medium resolution imagery to quantify forest degradation in sub-Saharan Africa and improve REDD + Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification systems in compliance with international reporting commitments.