Crisis and Opportunity Environment and development in Africa

Winner of the Prix Pierre Chauleur of the French Academie des Sciences d'Outre-Mer Until some way is found of dealing with Africa's catastrophic environmental crises none of the continent's other problems will find a long-term solution. Yet there is hope, and Crisis and Opportunity sets out a programme for dealing with the problems successfully. Written in a clear and engaging style, the book shows how environmental management can be achieved and institutionalized from within Africa, rather than through interference from the West, by implementing National Environmental Action Plans (NEAPS). Aware of the urgency of the problems, Francois Falloux and Lee Talbot offer practical guidelines based on direct experience and incorporate a great range of relevant case studies and examples. Their book will be of enormous importance to the governments, local communities and development agencies confronting the issues, and may mark a milestone if recovery in Africa is to take place. Francois Falloux is Senior Environmental Advisor, Africa Region at the World Bank. Dr Lee M Talbot is a former Director-General of the World Conservation Union (IUCN). Originally published in 1993

Preface Acknowledgements 'Letter from a Mothe Introduction Part 1 National Environmental Action Plans in Sub-Saharan Africa: Origins, Description and Present Status Summary 1 1. Past Attempts at Environmental Planning in Africa 2. What is a NEAP and why is it Different? 3. The Pioneers: the NEAP of Madagascar 4. Forging the NEAP Approach: Lesotho 5. Forging the NEAP Approach: Mauritius 6. Green Plans of the North 7. Over Thirty African NEAPs Part II The Neap Process, its Components and its Problems Summary 8. Political Involvement and Popular Participation 9. A Dynamic and Evolving Institutional Framework 10. Indispensable Environmental Information 11. An Economic Foundation: Guarantee of Credibility 12. Education, Training and Public Awareness 13. The Inescapable Population Problem 14. Land Tenure and the Environment 15. The Vital Challenge of Conserving Biodiversity 16. Urban Cancers, an Inevitable Problem 17. African Culture: Opportunities and Dangers for the Environment 18. Rural Development Revisited in the Era of Environment 19. A Path Full of Obstacles: Lessons from a Learning Process

Francois Falloux