GEO-6 for Youth: Africa
Rami Elsayed
Key Messages
Land access determines livelihood prospects for youth. It is therefore critical for African governments to enact policies that will expand land access for youth.
Waste does not just belong in landfills. It is valuable. The global market for post-consumer scrap metal is estimated at 400 million tons annually and around 175 million tons annually for paper and cardboard. This presents economic opportunities that youth can tap into.
Climate smart agriculture (CSA) reinforces the livelihoods of smallholder farmers by equipping them with more effective ways of managing natural resources and deploying technologies that will help them produce and sell more.
The global food value chain already employs almost one billion people and generates up to US$2.4 trillion to the global economy and it is estimated that the world will need to increase food production by at least 50 per cent by 2050 to adequately feed the population. As such, CSA presents a golden opportunity for African youth to insert themselves into the global food production value chain in a sustainable manner.
Global and country-led initiatives such as the REDD+, the Bonn Challenge, and the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100) also contain multiple employment opportunities that greatly benefit African youth.
3.1 Introduction
Land is the true wealth of Africa (Liniger, Studer, Hauert and Gurtner 2011) and is home to a dazzling diversity of natural resources and ecosystems including soils, vegetation, water and genetic diversity. Together, they form the continent’s main natural capital; provide food, water, wood, fibre, and industrial products, as well as essential ecosystem services and functions (Liniger, Studer, Hauert
and Gurtner 2011). Furthermore, Africa is home to 60 per cent of unconverted arable land resources (UNEP 2016). Approximately 66 per cent of Africa is classified as desert or drylands; and 45 per cent of the population lives in drylands (Liniger, Studer, Hauert and Gurtner 2011; FAO 2011).
Current activities and trends show that land and water resources in some regions face grave threats from over-exploitation, although their per capita availability is among the highest in the world (UNEP 2013). This stems from the growing needs of a burgeoning population, often combined with inappropriate land management practices.
3.2 Sustainable land management Thirsty land in Khartoum after the autumn season
Unsustainable land management practices result in land degradation that threatens the environment and stifles livelihoods. Africa remains exposed to threats such as natural resource degradation and poverty due to various reasons that include: changing demographics, urbanization, mining, fragile natural resources and ecosystems, increased soil erosion and land degradation, low yields and high post-harvest yield losses (UNEP 2016). Land degradation is severe and ongoing because of economic pressures and slower evolution of environmental awareness. In addition, the number of natural disasters and sensitivity to climate variability and long-term climate change are on the rise (Liniger, Studer, Hauert and Gurtner 2011).
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