Africa's nature is beautiful and diverse, yet it is facing a growing number of serious threats.
One of the greatest challenges is desertification. As the Sahara expands, communities and agriculture are increasingly left without sufficient water. For example, Lake Chad has dramatically shrunk, robbing countless fishermen of their livelihoods.
Another major threat is deforestation, which is often driven by foreign commercial interests. Valuable forests in the Congo Basin are being gradually lost, harming both the environment and local populations. Vital bodies of water, from great rivers to lakes, are suffering from discarded plastic and raw sewage.
The path forward lies in properly employing new technology and strengthening Africa's own scientific institutions. With these tools, the continent can work to avert a full-scale ecological crisis.
