Cape Town — Until Africa's forests are valued for the oxygen they produce for the world's ecosystems, they will be worth more when they are dead than alive, said Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at a summit for "Sustainability in Africa" held in Botswana from May 24-25.
Stressing the importance of preserving Africa's "natural capital", Sirleaf said that "until we can put a value on the contribution our biodiversity makes to the global environment, we will struggle to protect it."
Natural capital includes not only resources such as minerals, but also the benefits provided by natural phenomena, often overlooked or taken for granted, such as watersheds, coral reefs, grasslands, forests, biodiversity and ecosystems.
Representatives of 10 African governments, business leaders and development partners from the continent and beyond, endorsed the "Gaberone Declaration" - a resolution calling for careful management of Africa's resources in order to ensure that growth and development are sustainable.
The declaration also committed governments to account for the value of their natural capital and to integrate it into national and corporate planning, as well as in reporting practices, policies and programmes.
Botswana's President Ian Khama emphasised the importance of broad alliances that involved the active engagement of civil society, the private sector and government.
"We need to pay more attention to getting the balance right between what is economically feasible, socially desirable and environmentally sustainable," he said.
The private sector and business partnerships need to drive the "greening" of economic growth and the diversification of African economies, said Khama. "It is this aspiration that should guide us in using our natural resources to redress current discrepancies in wealth and lift more people out of poverty."
In her speech to the summit, President Sirleaf warned that many African countries are running down their "natural capital stock" without understanding the value of what they are losing. "The degradation of soils, air, water and biological resources can negatively impact on public health, food security, consumer choice and business opportunities," she said.
She recalled the 1970s in Liberia when the price of iron ore fell from U.S. $600 to less than $100, at the same time oil went from $15 to $75 overnight. "Liberia had no choice but to dig for more iron, at the cost of abusing our environment," she said. "In the end we were left with big craters and artificial lakes on our landscape and not much else to show for the millions of tons of ore exported."
Sirleaf said the "tremendous" human and natural capital resources in Liberia and other African countries have the potential to liberate the continent from poverty, provided they are managed sustainably.
"Let us remember that the sustainable management of natural capital is not a new challenge: it is one every African village has faced since time immemorial."
But, she added, the challenge is more urgent than ever in a world whose population is now seven billion and rising, and in a continent where people are moving to the cities. "While the problems may manifest themselves at a local level, the solutions will only work if they are truly global.
"As we deliberate on nature, the ecosystem and resources, let us not overlook the issue of sustainability in urban areas," said Sirleaf, "how to make our cities more eco-friendly and nurturing rather than oppressive and hazardous...
"Until we have access to the best technologies for sustainable agriculture and renewable energy, we will continue to languish in poverty."
Noting that Botswana has made good progress towards the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals, President Khama said his country had met the global targets for access to safe water, education and health services. Botswana had also designated "around 40 percent" of its land area as protected.
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Here is a poem in the spirit of President Johnson-Sirleaf's speech: LIFE TO ALL LIFE!
Life to Waters, Life to Fishes! Life to Forests, Life to Beasts: Life to all Life!
“Life to all Life!” is the golden African prayer; Think biodiversity and think “Life to all Life!” Dream biodiversity and dream “Life to all Life!”
“Life to all Life!” is the golden African prayer; Uphold biodiversity and uphold “Life to all Life!” Promote biodiversity and promote “Life to all Life!”
Life to Woman, Life to Man! Life to Flowers and Life to Eggs: Life to all Life!
“Life to all Life!” is the golden African prayer; Advocate biodiversity and advocate “Life to all Life!” Guard biodiversity and guard “Life to all Life!”
“Life to all life!” is the golden African prayer; Pray biodiversity and pray “Life to all life!” Sing biodiversity and sing “Life to all life!”
Life to Rainbow, Life to Clouds! Life to Sunshine and Life to Rain: Life to all Life!
“Life to all life!” is the golden African prayer; Work for biodiversity and work for “Life to all life!” Celebrate biodiversity and celebrate “Life to all Life!”
“Life to all life!” is the golden African prayer; Love biodiversity and love “Life to all life!” Live biodiversity and live “Life to all life!”
Life to Mountains, Life to Valleys! Life to Sky and Life to Birds: Life to all Life! Chidi G Osuagwu, 2012.
I SEE THE FINAL CURTAIN WHERE ALL THE AFRICAN PEOPLE WIL SIGHT THEIR WORTH AND KNOW THAT THEY ARE BLESSED AND THEY HAVE THE POWER AND THE KEY TO THE WORLD. MS. SIRLEAF SAID SOMETHING VERY PROFOUND THERE IS A NEED FOR AFRICA TO HAVE THE BEST IN NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR AGRICULTURE AND SCIENCES IN GENERAL. I AGAIN STRESS TO AFRICA THE WEST OUR FORMER DICTATORS ARE NOT INETERSTED IN NATION BUILDING ORN POVERTY ERADICATION IT IS THEIR WILL THAT AFRICA NEVER BECOMES UNITED , IT CONTINUES TO HAVE CONFLICT A D INSTABILITY. THEY PROVE THESE THINGS DAILY THEY DO NOT WANT YOU TO BECOME SELF EFFICIENT THEY WANT YOU DEPENDENT IRRESPONSIBLE AND LACKING IN TECHNOLOGY. THEY PREFER TO SELL YOU GUNS TANKS AND AIR FORCE JETS; THESE ARE THEIR MAIN INDUSTRIES. WAR AND CONFLICT IS HOW TEY PLANNED THEIR WORLD. THE MORE DEATHS THE BETTER FOR THEM. THEY WANT TO SELL BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN HIGH TECH WEAPONS. THEY DO NOT WANT TO SHARE THEIR STOLEN TECHNOL;IGIES SO AFRICA MUST SEEK ALTERNATIVE MEANS AND WAYS TO SECURE THE NEEDED THINGS AND TO MAKE SURE THAT NUMEROUS AMMOUNTS OF STUDENTS WITH THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF ADVANCEMNET ARE ABLE TO ACCESS SCHOLS AND UNIVERSITIES SO THEY MAY COME HOME TO BUILD AND REEDUCATE THE MILLIONS OF CHILDREN WHO ARE DESPERATE TO LEARN. AFRICAN CHILDREN TO DAY ARE LIKE MAGNETS DRAWN TO EDUCATION HUNGRY FOR KNOWLEDGE . AFRICA HAS NEVER BEEN SO INDUSTRIOUS IN MANY YEARS THE PEOPLE ARE STRONG IN THEIR MOTIVES FOR CHANGE THEY WANT TO BE FREE MENTALLY AS WELL AS PHYSICALLY IT IS OUR TIME TO GIVE SECURITY STRENGTH AND FREE WIZE INTELLECT TO THESE AMBITOUS CHILDREN WHO WILL FAR EXCEED THE OUR GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS THEY WERE MEANT TO INHERIT AGREAT FREE CONTINENT HWERE THEY SEE THEIR BROTHERS AND SISTERS LEADING THE NATION IN EVERY ASPECT OF STABILITY AND GROWTH. THE NEED TO ACCESS EVERY SCIENEC EVERY TECHNOLOGY THAT IS NEEDED FOR MODERNITY WITH AS THE GREAT LADY SAID WITH THE MENTAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT OUR ECOLOGY OUR ENVIRONMENT MUSTR BE PRESERVED WE MUST NOT BE IN A HURRY TO SELL OUT All our resources for pennies because we are greedy. THERE IS NO NEED FOR GREED WE ARE THE OWNERS WE ARE THE CEO'S WE MUST TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN WHAT WE HAVE AND WE MUST MICROMANAGE EVERY ASPECT OF OUR RESOURCES THESE ARE THE THINGS COMPUTERS DO THEY ARE ABLE TO STORE MUCH KNOWLEDGE . IT IS A PRIORITY THAT WE STAY IN TOUCH IN EVERY WAY HOW WE SELL AND ISTRIBUTE OUR RE4SOURCES WE MUST ALSO KNOW THAT WHILE WE SELL ALL THESE THINSG UNLESS WE HAVE INVESTED IN OTHER RESOURCES THAT WILL ENABLE US TO FULFILL OUR ASPIRATIONS WE CAN NOT SELL AS MUCH TO THE WORLD WITHOUT BUILDING ORU OWN INFRASTRUCTURES WE ALSO WILL NEED THE FUELS TO FUEL OUR ECONOMIES. GAS IS A VERY PROFOUIND RESOURCE THESE PROPERTIES WILL HELP TO EMPOWER THE GROWING NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO LIVE IN BETTER HOUSES WITH ELECTRIC KITCHEN APPLIANCES POWERED BY GAS ETC. I AM VERY PROUD OF THAT THIS GREAT INTIATIVE IS BEING ATKEN BECAUSE THE WEST WILL NOT GUID YOU ALONG THESE LINES THEIR ONLY INTEREST IS TO MAKE MONEY OFF THE AFRICAN CONTINENT. THE WEST ARE ONLY RESPONSIBLE TO THEIR SHAREHOLDERS AND YOU ARE NOT A SHARE HOLDER. THIS IS WHY WE MUST ALSO HAVE SHARES IN ORU OWN RESOURCES AS THE GREAT LADY SAID WE MUST VALUE EVERYTHING WE HAVE IT ALL COUNTS ; THE PEOPLE MUST BECOME SHAREHOLDERS IN THEIR ESOURCES THISA WAY THE GOVERNMENST CAN NOT SELL OFF THE NATION WITH OUT BEING RESPONSIBLE TO THE PEOPLE. MICROMANAGEMENT SI WHAT WE NEED . EDUCATION AGAIN IS WHAT IS IMPORTANT WE ARE LIVING IN A WORLD WHERE FREINDS A ND FAMILY MUST ALSO WORK HARD TO ACHEIVE ANYTHING THEY WANT MEANING THAT IN GOVERNMENT THERE MUST BE QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE WHO MANAGE FINACE AND OTHER STRUCTURES IN GOVERNMENT THAT IS OF HIGH PROFILE VALUE. BEING A RTEPRESENTATIVE OF THE PEOPLE WITHOUT BEING UNIVERSITY GRADUATE IS OK IF THE PEOPLE CHOOSE TO ELECT HOWEVER POSITIONS THAT DRIVE THE ECONOMY MUST BE FILLED BY WELL EDUCATED PEOPLE WHO WILL NOT BE TAKEN FOR A RIDE BY WESTERN CROOKS AND THIEVES EDUCATION EDUCATION IS THE BASE FOR PROSPERITY!!!!!!