Africa is a diverse continent in climate, vegetation and also people. It used to be a land of potential but was ruined by man’s influence. It was said that the settlers who descended upon Africa some 200 years ago caused radical change there. The natural balance of the environment was spoilt, and today the economies in Africa are the weakest in the world and the effects of the population because of this poverty has adverse effects on the environment.
Today, only 1% of Africa’s wildlife remains, which testifies of Africa’s former glory and greatness. The greatest disturbance to the natural environment is desertification. It is when savannah grassland is transformed into arid desert-like land. Although many factors causing desertification are natural, like drought and soil erosion, man’s impact on the environment can sometimes be harmful.
In this entry, I would like to examine how foreign aid is not always helpful and how this can be improved.
Although aid is poured into Africa frequently, the evidence that aid can transform the environmental situation and lift people out of poverty is sometimes unconvincing, because it can only speed up a process that is already happening. Usually, we assume that money can change things. But if aid could make Africa prosperous, it would have done so by now.
Despite nearly a trillion dollars of aid since the 1960s when Africa gained independence, much of Africa is worse off now than it was then. That is because much of the aid given was spent by outsiders without any direct consultation with Africans and a little understanding of Africa’s needs.
Africa has rich resources but is a victim of bad politics, and some African nation states do not have effective governments. As such, it is difficult to deliver education about the environment to Africans without working through those governments.
Some of the African nations like Tanzania and Uganda receive about 50% of their budgets from aid, which makes them even more dependent on Western aid donors than they were in colonial times. And in times of economic crisis, some countries may cut back on their aid for Africa, and in turn, the environment and people suffer even more. Because of this aid, Western aid donors are able to control the agenda, for instance, taking ownership of the programme.
Much of the aid is spent in the form of consultancies and goods, for example genetically modified food to solve the problems caused by famine. For Africa, this breeds dependence and undermines self reliance. Eventually, this may breed resentment.
Ultimately, there is no short cut to development, and problems can only be genuinely solved when Africans themselves bring change to their country. I believe a way to start is through the development of a state where taxes are raised and where they are spent productively for the countries to develop. Today, a lack of capacity by the government and corruption prevent basic services from being delivered to citizens.
Giving aid feels good but there are actually other ways to help Africa. Policies that promote a fairer system of trade should be pursued. Agricultural subsidies that distort prices, therefore allowing cheap food to be dumped in Africa should be ended as it is ruining farmers there.
