Environment change

Introduction to Environmental Change

In Mozambique  both natural and human action have negative effect on the environment. The country is prone to natural disasters e.g. drought and cyclones. Cyclones cause landslides and coastal erosion and drought causes deforestation. Human actions that cause environment degradation are illegal, excessive and unsustainable logging, salinisation of river mouths due to dam construction, construction of houses in protected areas on land dunes along the coast, thus causing severe erosion. In all cities sewage discharges are not treated and pollute the beaches and rivers. There is a need to ratify and domesticate international instruments that provide for sustainable management of the environment, better disaster management policies and penalization of corrupt government officers who permit illegal and unsustainable logging that causes deforestation.

Other causes of environment degradation are alien to Mozambique. This country is not industrialised therefore it is not a major air and water polluter. However, the country still need to engage in the international debate and demand compensation in the form of Aid for the damage caused by the polluters. This Aid would be used o minimize the effects of raising sea water levels that exacerbate coastal erosion.

Lily Chauque
7 Feb 2014