>> Home >> Africa >> >> Global Issues / Citizen Voices Contest

March 2008 Global Issues/Citizen Voices
Contest Winner: Loyce Kareri

Question: Why should the world care about the environment in places like Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Rwanda?

Join this ongoing discussion

Read the March 2008 winning essays

Read about our winners at News Points

See Loyce speak about the contest on BBC World News

Enter the April 2008 Global Issues/Citizen Voices Contest

Name: Loyce Kareri (pen name: Loyce K. Joe)

Hometown: Nairobi, Kenya

About her: Loyce is a copy editor and student. She was born and raised in Kenya and now lives in Columbus, Ohio. Read Loyce's full bio.

Her winning essay:

Having spent a large portion of my childhood and early youth in Africa, I have sadly been a witness to the debilitating effect of human conflict on the ecosystem in this beautiful continent.

Mountain gorillas in the tropical forests of Rwanda, sweeping Savannas in Mozambique and the largest set of waterfalls in the world located in Zimbabwe; this is only a minuscule snapshot of the exhilarating flora and fauna found in these exotic nations.

To answer the question why the rest of the world should be concerned with the conservation and restoration of the ecosystems in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Rwanda, I believe it's important to reflect on what these nations have to offer which, in essence, is what the world as a whole stands to lose.

According to the Carr Foundation, a U.S nonprofit organization involved in restoration projects in Mozambique, Africa is home to 70 of the world's 100 national parks and natural reserves. It also boasts one of the highest concentration of diversity in species and ecological features in the various regions of the world.

Every year, millions of adventurers, thrill-seekers and curious vacationers aiming to momentarily escape encroaching urbanization and granite living spaces, have flowed into these locales to catch a glimpse of the intoxicating scenic beauty and view exotic wild animals in their natural habitat. The tourists experience scenes that cannot be fully replicated in the zoos and animal reserves they have available back home.

Where else, aside from Animal Planet TV, can a native New Yorker see and be a part of a herd of migrating wildebeest or where can a charismatic Californian experience visiting the most highly endangered large mammal on earth, the Black Rhinoceros, in her own backyard?

Unfortunately social conflict, political unrest and extreme economic hardships are threatening to obliterate these natural treasures.

Ethnic cleansing and genocide in Rwanda in 1994 brought in its wake a severe strain on the forests and natural vegetation. A case in point is the Gishwati Forest, which once thick with African mahoganies and figs now, according to a report by Stephanie Hanes for the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, lays waste and denuded having served as a hiding place for refugees who cut down the trees and used the land to cultivate food to sustain themselves.

Mozambique too has had its share of social-political upheaval. A crippling civil war that ended in 1992 left one of the world's most diverse natural reserves barren and virtually empty of wildlife. Gorongosa National Park, once a popular destination for popular world figures, now served as a hiding place for rebels, who poached and killed the wildlife for food .

Though Zimbabwe has been spared the tragedies of war, severe economic instability is the Achilles' heel. Facing 1000% inflation, the population has been forced to depend more on natural resources for sustenance. The resulting deforestation and poaching has all but destroyed the ecosystem.

Albeit the depressingly gloomy picture- there is hope. Local and international efforts have emerged in the three nations with the joint aim of rescuing, restoring and conserving the environment. These include the Gorongosa Conservation Project by the Carr Foundation in Mozambique, the Victoria Falls Anti-poaching Unit in Zimbabwe and the Virungas Gorilla Conservation programs in Rwanda.

How can the world show it cares about the environment in these places?

By partnering with those already involved in ecological conservation through extending monetary and intellectual aid. This support will go a long way in assisting them to recover and possibly redeem a lot of what has been lost in the upheaval.

The survival of these ecological systems will be of great benefit to both the local inhabitants and the world at large. A successfully conserved environment means more revenue from visiting tourists, resulting in the locals obtaining a sustainable source of livelihood and essentially easing the pressure on unsustainable natural resources.

At the same time a diverse and invaluable source of learning and social enjoyment remains available to the international community.

With the rapid increase of urbanization and industrialization one thing remains certain, the world will soon be in dire need of natural uninhabited space, if for nothing else, as a haven for momentary escape and peace of mind.

The unique landscape of these African nations is of universal value and so rigorous and exhaustive conservation efforts designated to protect their environment are absolutely vital, for the sake of present and future generations, worldwide.

Sources:

http://www.gorongosa.net/
http://www.pulitzercenter.org/openitem.cfm?id=318
http://www.pulitzercenter.org/openitem.cfm?id=248

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the articles published on the websites of Helium and of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting are those of the authors alone. They do not represent the views or opinions of the Pulitzer Center or its staff.

Back to top

Post your comment

Email this article