As seen on The Financial Times

By Sarah Murray

In a partnership taking effect on July 20″ the African Development Bank and the World Wide Fund for Nature” the global conservation group” are forming an alliance to produce a report on the state of Africa’s environment. The AfDB-WWF marriage is an appropriate one.

As awareness grows of the inextricable links between environmental conservation and sustainable development” no region of the world demonstrates the connection as clearly as Africa.

As always on the continent” prospects for sustainable development coincide with seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Rising prices for oil and commodities present many African countries with the chance to build stronger economies” while the rise in demand for food has prompted many to look to African agriculture as a potential engine for growth.

But climate change poses a serious threat – African nations may be among the world’s lowest emitters of greenhouse gases” but parts of the continent are also among the most vulnerable to climate change.

Extreme weather events such as floods and drought are likely to become more frequent and widespread” according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Protracted drought in east Africa has affected millions” and more than a third of Africa’s population lives in drought-prone regions.

There are 14 countries on the continent experiencing water shortages” according to the WWF” and 11 more nations are expected to be in the same situation by 2025.

Moreover” as rapid population growth and rising prosperity lead to shifts in patterns of consumption” the ecological footprint of many African nations is expanding rapidly. This is taking its toll on the environment. In the past four decades” for example” there has been a decline of almost 40 per cent in biodiversity” according to the Africa Living Planet Index.

While low levels of power generation partly explain the continent’s low carbon footprint compared with other regions” lack of access to energy means that millions of Africans still use wood for fuel” leading to widespread deforestation.

Many people see the potential for large multinationals to contribute to sustainable development on the African continent. Companies such as Unilever and Nestlé are working with the farmers in their supply chains to help them use more sustainable agricultural methods” while also increasing yields and raising incomes.

For these companies” such engagements are not only part of their efforts to act as responsible businesses” but boosting the capacity of smallholders and other African businesses helps build more robust supply chains for commodities such as coffee and cocoa.

However” some foreign investment in Africa is raising concerns. As Chinese groups rush to the continent” many worry that the companies behind many of their large projects on African soil do not maintain high environmental standards.

Meanwhile” other foreign investors – such as from import-dependent Gulf Arab states – have been attracted by their soaring food prices to take an interest in underdeveloped fertile lands.

Debates centre on whether land acquisitions will inject badly needed investment into agriculture – or have a negative impact on the environment and on local communities” which risk losing access to the land on which they depend.

The good news is that” with many countries in the early stages of development” there is still a chance to design more environmentally and socially sustainable systems” and learn from the mistakes of others in order to leapfrog technologies.

Anyone seeking evidence of this only has to look at the evolution of telecommunications in Africa” where millions of people have bypassed landlines and moved directly to mobile communications.

Many believe that this pattern could be replicated in other sectors. In agriculture” for example” there is the potential to avoid many of the damaging effects of some farming techniques – including water pollution from chemical fertilisers” pesticides and herbicides” loss of biodiversity and soil degradation.

With much of Africa’s land still undeveloped” moving straight to organic or conservation farming” or introducing new cultivation technologies could be easier as the soil that has not yet been altered by the heavy use of fertilisers and pesticides.

Underinvestment has meant that less than 5 per cent of Africa’s arable land is irrigated” which offers the opportunity to introduce new water-efficient” affordable” technologies.

Energy presents a similar picture. Since much of the continent’s population lacks access to any source of power apart from traditional fuels” it could be easier to move to renewable sources than in countries where large legacy systems and vested interests lie in the way of more widespread adoption of clean energy.

Massive investment will be required. Sub-Saharan Africa has the world’s lowest electricity access rate” and some estimate that” in the absence of stronger policy measures” half its population will still be without power by 2030.

However” renewable energy could help fill the gap. In sub-Saharan Africa” electricity generation from renewable sources grew by 72 per cent between 1998 and 2008 (from 45 to 78 terawatt hours a year)” according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). This means that” from 1998 on” 66 per cent of all new electricity generated in the region has come from renewable sources.

To help create a self-supporting financing market for sustainable energy projects” the International Finance Corporation – the private sector arm of the World Bank – has established the Climate Change Investment Programme” to assist banks in making more money available for private sector energy efficiency efforts and renewable energy projects in sub-Saharan Africa. It also runs an advisory programme.

While such initiatives are encouraging” rapid development and the expansion of the middle class brings with it new environmental problems – ones that were once the preserve of richer nations.

For example” Africa has for many years imported large amounts of electronic waste for disposal” but as the digital divide narrows” a growing proportion of e-waste is being generated domestically.

The combination of imported e-waste and rising domestic consumption of mobile phones” refrigerators” televisions and other equipment means that levels of e-waste could surpass those of Europe by 2017″ according to the UNEP” and create high levels of pollution and its accompanying threats to human health.

At the same time” the growth of cities will put intense pressure on natural resources. As the world’s fastest urbanising region” some predict that” by 2030″ Africa will no longer be predominantly rural.

This means that policy makers need to move aggressively if the continent is to avoid the social inequities and environmental degradation that have become associated with cities in many developing countries.

When it comes to achieving economic growth that is also environmentally sustainable” the reality is that Africa is in a race against time.

The question for policy makers and businesses is whether they are moving fast enough to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the green economy” while preventing rapid development leading to environmental disaster.

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