BOMBAY (PTI): The starvation, disease and civil strife that envelop the African continent, holds pertinent lessons for India, which cannot be ignored, said the eminent environmentalist, Dr. Rashmi Mayur, here recently.

 Addressing members of the Indian Institute of Public Administration at Mantralaya, Dr. Mayur said deforestation, destruction of bio-diversity, long years of colonization and now the incursion of multinationals had impoverished the African people beyond imagination.

Dr. Mayur had returned from a tour of several African countries, undertaken on behalf of the UN to study the ecology and environment in that continent. He said in many countries, except for the Small upper crust, the majority of the people were left to fend for themselves.

 He said the African people’s problem of lack of water resources and an impoverished land had been compounded by a high level of illiteracy and widespread outbreak of malaria as well as AIDS. To make matters worse, the northern deserts were now expanding fast into the south and might reach the borders of the now-prosperous South Africa soon, he added.

Dr. Mayur pointed out that a third of the children in Africa were on the verge of starvation and were subsisting on imported food or UN gifts. He said the fact that 50% of the population subsisted on imported food grains seemed ironical since once Ethiopia fed the entire Roman Empire.

Filing his findings to the UN, Dr. Mayur said there was little hope for the continent unless there was massive investment in agriculture and Africans were trained to take to small-scale industries with appropriate technologies.

There was immediate need to undertake programs for the protection of ecology and bio-diversity of the continent.

 Dr. Mayur further urged that the governments of various African Countries should check the incursion of multinationals which would “further deprive Africa of her rich Variety of biological and natural wealth.” They must also be made to persuade various donor counties of the past to write off their foreign debts. With the burden of foreign debts, none of the African States would ever be able to stand on its own feet, Dr. Mayur warned.

The countries which Dr. Mayur visited included Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Sierra Leona, Okino Fraso and interacted with the government officials, cabinet ministers and environment experts.

Article extracted from this publication >> August 12, 1994