Environmental Change Threatens Africa

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Credit: Christian Lambrechts/UNEP

"Africa: Atlas of Our Changing Environment," a publication of the United Nations Environment Programme tracks through satellite imagery the impact of natural and human activity on the continent over several decades. One of the most dramatic changes is to be seen on the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, where glaciers have shrunk by 80 percent over the last century.
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Credit: UNEP

A satellite image of Kilimanjaro from 1976.
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Credit: UNEP

The decrease in the glacial area can be seen clearly in this image of Kilimanjaro in 2006.
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Credit: UNEP

Lake Chad was once the second-largest wetland in Africa, supporting a rich diversity of endemic animals and plant life. This image is from 1972.
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Credit: UNEP

Droughts and agricultural irrigation have reduced Lake Chad's extent to one-tenth of its former size over the past 35 years.
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Credit: UNEP

This 1975 image of the Nord-Ubangi and Mongala provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo shows deforestation along roads as loops of light green through dense rain forest.
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Credit: UNEP

In 2003, the deforested corridors have widened to the degree they almost merge. Logging roads can be seen at lower right.
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Credit: UNEP

A 1978 image of the Gishwati Forest Reserve in north-west Rwanda shows a dark green carpet of dense forest covering most of the protected area.
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Credit: UNEP

By 2006 most of the forest has fallen, the dark green areas replaced by pink and light green patches where the vegetation has disappeared as a result of agriculture.
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Credit: UNEP

A satellite image shows the glaciers on Mount Stanley (left), Mount Speke (top right) and Mount Baker (bottom right) in the Rwenzori Mountains in 1987. The mountains lie between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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Credit: UNEP

The glaciers have receded by 50 percent since 1987 and scientists say if the trend continues they will be gone in 20 years. The change is attributed to increased air temperatures, decreasing cover and less snow accumulation.
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Credit: UNEP

A September 2006 image shows part of the Juba River in Somalia before rains believed to have resulted from the an Niño weather pattern over the Pacific Ocean.
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Credit: UNEP

By early December 2006, the worst flooding in 10 years - appearing on the image as dark green to black - had displaced about half a million people. In spite of the negative effects, two rainy seasons may have benefitted grain and pastoral farmers.