African Rainforest

Over 90% of West Africa's original forest has been lost over the last century and only a small part of what remains qualifies as "closed" forest. Africa lost the highest percentage of rainforests during the 1980s of any other tropical region. During 1990-95 the annual rate of total deforestation in Africa was nearly 1 per cent. In the whole of Africa, for every 28 trees cut down, only one tree is replanted.

Says rainforest expert Rhett Butler, who wrote the book A Place Out of Time: Tropical Rainforests and the Perils They Face, "the outlook for the regions rainforests is not promising. Many countries have agreed in principle to conventions of biodiversity and forest preservation, but in practice these concepts of sustainable forestry are not enforced. Most governments lack the funds and technical know-how to make these projects a reality"..."Funding for most conservation projects comes from foreign sectors and 70-75% of forestry in the region is funded by external resources. Additionally a population growth rate exceeding 3% annually combined with the poverty of rural peoples, makes it difficult for the government to control local subsistence clearing and hunting."

An economic downturn in important parts of the world has many African nations reexamining their forest product harvesting policies. Local programs addressing the sustainable management of rainforests have been initiated by African and international organizations alike. These programs are showing some potential but have had minimal effect to date.

The UN is putting some pressure on African governments to abandon tax incentives for practices that encourage deforestation. Ecotourism and bioprospecting is believed to have potentially as much or more value for local economies than wood products.