ABSTRACT
This chapter considers a broad classification of Africa's environments and will then examines the significance of water and wetlands, before considering climate change, changing rainfall patterns and desertification. The African continent contains a great diversity of environments, ranging from the vast expanse of the Sahara Desert, through the semi-arid areas of the Sahel to the savanna grasslands, rainforest, wetlands and coastal mangroves. Large parts of South Africa are semi-arid, and the country has a serious water shortage, with one of the highest water stress indexes in the whole of Africa. South Africa’s ‘Working for Water’ Program has been acclaimed nationally and internationally for its attention to environmental issues, whilst simultaneously uplifting and empowering poor communities. In recent years, food shortages in the uplands, population pressure and the influence of the market economy have stimulated much interest in the agricultural potential of the wetlands.
