Addis Ababa — Conservationists called for urgent action to protect Africa's fragile environment Saturday, saying it was crucial to many people's survival, Reuters reported from Antananarivo.

Endorsed by 350 scientists, policy makers and environmentalists, the "Madagascar Declaration" said Africa's natural wealth had so far failed to improve the lives of most people on the world's poorest continent.

"Ecosystem services that function as the foundation for human welfare - clear air, fresh water, food and fiber, and natural medicines - are being jeopardized," the statement said.

"Reversing this trend is imperative for human well-being, and for many people, for their very survival," it said.

The five-day conference heard a host of frightening environmental scenarios from top experts.

Deforestation rates in Africa are probably occurring faster than previously thought, while the biodiversity on the continent was being lost at an unprecedented rate.

While the declaration is merely a guideline for policy makers and businesses, it has the authority of some of the world's leading conservation scientists and field biologists.