New UN Atlas Uses 30 Years Of Satellite Images To Track Degradation Of Africa's Environment - BBC

[hatrack]

Uganda's Rwenzori Mountains in 1987 on the left and in 2005 on the right

A new atlas published by the UN charts Africa's rapidly changing environmental landscape from disappearing glaciers in Uganda to a vanishing lake in Mali. Comparing photographs from the present day and 30 years ago, it shows how economic development, climate change and conflict have all taken their toll.

The atlas from the UN Environment Programme surveys every African nation. There are also examples of things changing for the better, like in Niger where trees are being replanted.

In nearly 400 pages of glossy colour photographs the atlas documents the degradation of a once pristine continent. Before and after images chart the devastating impact humans have had on their environment. Roads driven through the Democratic Republic of Congo's rainforests spread a yellow spider webs across the landscape, as trees are hacked down.

The UN estimates Africa is losing four million hectares of forest a year - twice the global average. Rising populations mean that almost every environment is now under pressure.

EDIT

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7446793.stm

[bananas]

1. You can download the report, and there's going to be a version on google-earth

The report is here: http://www.unep.org/dewa/Africa/AfricaAtlas/
Somewhere on one of the links in esm's post it mentioned that there will be a version on google earth.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x153786