Environmental Change and Biodiversity Conservation in Sub-Saharan Africa

This two-volume set discusses strategies for sustainable environmental management and biodiversity conservation in sub-Saharan Africa. Agriculture and food production systems continue to take prominence in the region towards improved food security and play important roles in the region's development agenda. This drive for increased regional agricultural output presents challenges, including forest management where a wide range of ecosystem services important to human well-being are affected. Although the land is in abundance for agricultural production systems, the semi-aridity of most of southern Africa means that water is the main constraining factor. Agriculture in the region is mostly rainfed, and irrigation farming is on the rise despite declining water resources. Therefore, there is a need for the research presented in these books, which offer pragmatic solutions to natural resource utilisation, management, and governance in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on biodiversity conservation challenges covering rangelands and forest resources, and agricultural and food production systems within the context of limited water resources.

Volume 2 covers agricultural and food production systems as well as the circular economy of water and water resources management. The book addresses why moving toward a circular food system (i.e. the prioritization of plant biomass production for human consumption) is important to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy footprints in the food supply chain, while also adopting ecologically sound waster management practices. The book is intended for policy makers and researchers in sub-Saharan Africa, and will appeal broadly to environmental scientists and conservationists.