AFSP 4401 Environment in Africa

Dath Mita

Wed 6:30PM – 9:00PM

Poor resource management in many parts of Africa has resulted in serious social and environmental problems. African environmental issues/problems are geographically variable and complex across the continent, and like in other continents, the issues are caused primarily by anthropogenic (human) activities induced internally and externally. The activities have resulted in several devastating environmental impacts including deforestation, soil erosion, desertification, loss of biological diversity, climate change and contamination of air, land, and access to clean water. This course will explore human and natural environmental interaction in Africa. An overview of Africa’s environmental history and its current situation will be discussed through a series of lectures, case studies, guest speakers, brainstorming sessions, and other hands-on activities. Specific focus for this course will be on natural resource extraction and consumption, deforestation, food security, smart agriculture technologies for climate change adaptation, and water crisis. Additionally, students will be introduced to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as an application for organizing and management of environmental programs.