S5 GEOG2 25/AUG/2023

ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION
Environmental degradation refers to the decline in the productive value of the
environment. The environmental components degraded include the lithosphere (soil and
rocks), biosphere (plants and animals), hydrosphere (water resources) and the
atmosphere (air). Environmental degradation is a result of both natural and man-made
factors.

The following are the natural factors that have led to degradation;
1. Biological causes in form of pests such as locusts, caterpillars, army worms, aphids,
tsetse flies and diseases such as banana wilt, rusts, rots, cassava mosaic, coffee wilt
and Nagana in animals destroy vegetation and animal life exposing land to agents
of erosion affecting rainfall formation hence reducing its productivity. Human
diseases such as malaria, dysentery, Aids reduce productivity of the human
resource. Locusts are common in the Sahel while Nagana is common in West
African Coastal areas and Mirombo woodlands in Tanzania. Weeds such as the
water hyacinth have led to the death of fish reducing the productivity of the water
resource.
2. Harsh climatic conditions have also led to environmental degradation. These are
in form of prolonged drought especially in the arid and semi-arid areas of Africa
where it has led to limited rainfall amounts affecting vegetation growth, surface
water, loss of animals and people affecting the productivity of land leading to
famine. Flooding has also destroyed agricultural land and leads to loss of property,
lives and also contaminates safe drinking water points. In Mozambique, the Elnino
occurrence is annually experienced. Besides hailstorms, also cause extensive
damage to crops reducing the productivity of land.
3. Natural calamities such as volcanic eruptions in Eastern Congo, earthquakes in rift
valley areas such as Western Uganda, landslides in highland areas for example on
the slopes of Mt. Elgon as well as glacial and river erosion in highland areas cause
massive soil erosion, destruction of vegetation cover, degrade the landscape,
pollution and lead to loss of lives and animals hence degrading the environment.
4. Areas with limited vegetation cover such as arid and semi-arid areas of the Sahel,
Sahara and Kalahari in Namibia are characterized by thorny bushes, thickets and
scattered trees. These do not favour rainfall formation limiting the growth of more
vegetation and leave such areas prone to the agents of erosion especially wind and
water. This therefore affects the productivity of land, affects man, and reduces the

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 quality of air through dust clouds as well as marine life through silting of water
bodies.
5. The presence of barren soils such as the sandy soils of the Sahara, Sahel, Kalahari-
Namib, Atacama desert in South America affect proper growth of vegetation in
form of trees and grass. This exposes the land to erosion, increased temperatures,
decreased rainfall formation hence low land productivity.
6. The presence of limited surface water such as rivers, swamps, lakes in the Sahel
and Sahara regions of Africa has led to environmental degradation in that they limit
rainfall formation, growth of vegetation cover, affect crop growing and marine life.
This accelerates soil erosion affecting the productivity of the land, quality of the
water resources as well as air.
7. The influence of strong dry winds such as the North Eastern trade winds that blow
over the Sahara-Sahel zone have led to increased desertification in North Africa
since they don’t cause rainfall. This has further led to the growth on scanty
vegetation, limited surface water resources affecting man and animals and the
development of sandy soils that are not productive.

Human causes of environmental degradation include;

8. High rate of deforestation in many parts of the world such as Gabon, Congo,
Uganda, Brazil for land for settlement, farming, industrialization, construction
works, fuel wood in form of firewood and charcoal as well as for timber. This has
destroyed the water catchment areas leading to unreliable water supply, affecting
marine life, reduced rainfall amounts, affecting agriculture, forestry and animal
rearing as well as increased soil erosion hence soil deterioration.
9. Reclamation of swamps for different purposes such as agriculture for rice growing
in India in South East Asia, construction works and industrial establishment in
Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, establishment of ranches in Botswana, for
settlement in the Kigezi area have led to water shortages in wells and streams
affecting man, animals and marine life. It also affects the natural habitat for birds
and animals affecting the tourist industries, lead to reduced rainfall amounts
causing aridity reducing the productivity of the land.
10. Bush fires common among pastoralists such as in the Sahel, the Fulani, North
Eastern Uganda the Karamojongs, Northern Kenya the Turkana, Masaai in Kenya
and Tanzania and shifting cultivators such as the Bemba in Zambia, Azande in
Congo, Lala in Zimbabwe, expose top soil to wind and running water hence erosion
and deterioration. It also destroys useful worms, soil bacteria and humus affecting

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 soil composition and fertility and the development of fire resistant vegetation
which is not nutritious for the livestock affecting their growth and quality.
11. Acts of overfishing also degrade the environment especially for particular fish
species such as sandines and salmons from marine fishing grounds in Japan,
Norway, Peru, Spain, British Columbia as well as Nile Perch, Tilapia, silver fish from
fresh water bodies such as Lake Victoria and Kyoga. This is due to the use of under
seized nets and trawlers on small water bodies. This reduces the amount of fish
caught, destroys the fishing grounds making them barren and may lead to
migration of fish to new safer areas.
12. Mining and quarrying has contributed to the destruction of the landscape
especially where open cast method is used creating gullies that increase soil
erosion affecting soil fertility. Vegetation may also be removed in opening mining
fields such as in Congo, Gabon affecting rainfall formation increasing aridity as well
as affecting the tourism industry. Besides, it leads to increased noise pollution
through blasting of rocks and in case of drilling oil, water pollution is experienced
through oil spills affecting marine life such as in the Niger delta in Nigeria. Mining
has further led to exhaustion of minerals such as copper at Kilembe and coal from
the exposed part in the Ruhr region of Germany.
13. Poaching carried out in various national parks and game reserves has led to the
extinction of some animal species such as elephants for their tasks and ivory in
Kenya and the white Rhino for its skin and meat in Uganda. This is very common in
areas where National Parks are under threat for population increase such as Queen
Elizabeth National Park. This affects the growth of tourism industries.
14. Pollution of the environment in form of air, noise, land and water especially from
industries releasing toxic gases in the atmosphere which may lead to the formation
of acid rain especially in Europe and North America affecting plant life and marine
life. Damping chemicals, solid particles, polythene bags and domestic wastes in
rivers and lakes and on land contaminates urban water supply reducing the quality
of water, affecting aquatic life and reduces the productivity of land.
15. The use of poor methods of farming such as monoculture, overstocking that leads
to overgrazing, ploughing downhill have led to environmental degradation in
Africa. Growing the same crop overtime affects soil fertility leading to soil
deterioration while overgrazing destroys vegetation cover accelerating soil erosion
leading to loss of soil fertility, deterioration of underground water resources
increasing drought. This is very common in the Sahel region among the Fulani,
Masaai in Kenya and Tanzania, Bahima and Karamojongs in Uganda and the Galla
in Somalia.

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16. The drilling of boreholes and construction of valley dams have contributed to
environmental degradation as these lower the water table. This affects growth of
vegetation leading to aridity and survival of animals and man leading to their death
due to water shortage.
17. Construction works such as road construction, houses and industries lead to de-
vegetation and swamp reclamation which lead to reduction in rainfall amounts and
increased temperatures while excavations affect soil structures loosening them
and exposing them to agents of erosion. These affect the productivity of the land.
18. In many developing countries where civil wars are experienced such as in Congo,
South Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Iraq and Pakistan, the use of land mines and bombs
has resettled into loss of vegetation cover, lives and pollution which has had its
effects like reduced productivity of land and serious human diseases affecting man
such as in Japan.
19. In many developing countries, there are poor government policies on conservation
of the environment. As such, forests have been depleted, swamps reclaimed,
minerals exhausted and water bodies over fished. In Uganda, National
Environment Management Authority and National Forest Authority have failed to
protect natural forests and wetlands hence increased temperatures, decreased
rainfall amounts affecting the agricultural sector and man.
20. In Africa, the majority of the people are illiterate and unaware of the importance
of environmental conservation. As such, they carry out subsistence farming using
poor methods of farming, destroy forests, reclaim swamps, pollute water bodies
affecting the environment.
21. In developing countries, the increase in population due to improved medical
services and high birth rates has led to high rates of deforestation. This is common
in highly populated areas where more land is required for settlement and
agriculture. This reduces the amount of rainfall received, accelerates soil erosion
and results into destruction of habitants to wild animals hence degradation of the
environment.

NB: For the effects of environmental degradation, refer to effects of desertification.

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 MEASURES TO CONTROL ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION
1. Encourage afforestation and re-afforestation programmes in order to control soil
erosion, modify the climate, improving water supply, for provision of wood fuel
and timber in order conserve and restore the environment. This was done in
Ethiopia, Gabon, Uganda, and Swaziland where fast maturing tree species like the
pine and eucalyptus were planted.
2. Encourage controlled grazing among the nomadic tribes such as the Fulani of West
Africa, Karamojongs of Uganda through reducing the number of herds by sale of
animals and other products such as meat to protect vegetation cover preventing
soil erosion hence conserving the environment.
3. Use of proper farming methods such as mulching, crop rotation, terracing and
contour ploughing in mountainous areas, agro-forestry, paddocking are
encouraged in several countries such as Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan aimed at
proper management of soils, maintaining its fertility, avoiding landslides and
increasing productivity.
4. Alternative sources of energy are being used such as Hydro Electric Power, solar
energy, bio-gas, thermal and use of energy saving stoves in order to reduce the
burden on natural and artificial forests as sources of fuel wood in form of firewood
and charcoal. This has saved many forests from destruction.
5. Respective governments in Africa have come up with policies through establishing
authorities and organizations aimed at conserving and protecting the
environment. These include NEMA (National Environment Management
Authority), NFA (National Forest Authority), Lake Victoria Management
Programme in Uganda, Nile Basin Organization and UWA (Uganda Wildlife
Authority). These have helped in ensuring proper management of wetlands,
forests, rivers and their banks, lake shores and preventing poaching.
6. In Africa and Asia, a number of countries have come up with proper measures of
waste management in order to reduce pollution. Industries have been established
that transform polythene bags and plastics bottles into other products while metal
scrap is used as a raw material in steel industries. This has reduced the non-
biodegradable pollutants that affect soil fertility. These have been established in
Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria for example Nice Home of plastics.
7. Massive education and sensitization about the importance of conserving and
protecting the environment has been done. This is done through workshops,
seminars, use of media (magazines, newspapers, television, radios and internet)
organised and funded by governments, NGOs (Non-Government Organizations)
and institutions like National Environment Management Authority, National Forest

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 Authority, Uganda Wildlife Authority and international bodies like the UN (United
Nations).
8. Reduction of excessive population pressure on land in order to reduce the impact
on the environment through birth control measures like use of condoms, pills,
coils, inject plans, encourage out migration developing other sectors of the
economy such as industrialization and tourism where excess population can be
employed rather than on land and establishing resettlement schemes where
people are moved from densely populated areas to sparsely populated areas for
example the Bakiga from Kabale to Kibale in Uganda.
9. Encourage irrigation farming in countries that experienced prolonged drought such
as Sudan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Kenya aimed at improving soil productivity and
supporting the growth of cover crops, afforestation as in Sudan on the Gezira
improving the micro climate of the areas and scenic beauty encouraging tourism.
The environment also becomes suitable for human settlement, domestic and wild
animals hence environmental protection.
10. Planting drought resistant grasses and trees such as acacia and cactus to provide
pastures for animals, conservation of soils through reducing surface run off and
speed of wind preventing erosion hence conserving the environment. This has
been done in Somalia, Nigeria and Ethiopia.
11. Encouraging political stability in countries experiencing civil wars such as South
Sudan, Somalia, Syria through peace talks in order to reduce massive killing of
people and use of fire arms that destroy the vegetation cover hence conserving
the environment.
12. Anti-poaching laws have been passed in respective governments in Africa where
wild animals are under threat such elephants and rhinos where by the poachers
are prosecuted hence saving large numbers of wild animals.

REVISION QUESTIONS
1. To what extent is environmental degradation a consequence of man’s activities?
2. Account for environmental degradation in either Namibia or the Sahel region of
Africa.
3. To what extent have physical factors contributed to environmental degradation in
Sub-Saharan Africa?

4a). Distinguish between desertification and environmental degradation.

b). Examine the measures being taken to control environmental degradation.
5. Examine the effects of environmental degradation on man.