Namibia - CountryWatch

Environmental Overview Global Environmental Concepts
absorb carbon dioxide in the process of photosynthesis, so their loss also reduces the absorption of
greenhouse gases.
Tropical rainforest destruction also adversely affects the nitrogen cycle. Nitrogen is a key nutrient for
both plants and animals. Plants derive nitrogen from soil, while animals obtain it via nitrogen-enriched
vegetation. This element is essential for the formation of amino acids, and thereby for proteins and biochemicals
that all living things need for metabolism and growth. In the nitrogen cycle, vegetation
acquires these essential proteins and biochemicals, and then cyclically returns them to the atmosphere
and global ecosystem. Accordingly, when tropical rainforest ecosystems are compromised, not only is
vegetation removed; the atmosphere is also affected and climates are altered. At a more immediate
level, the biodiversity within tropical rainforests, including wildlife and insect species and a wealth of
plant varieties, is depleted. Loss of rare plants is of particular concern because certain species as yet
unknown and unused could likely yield many practical benefits, for instance as medicines.
As a result of the many challenges associated with deforestation, many environmental groups and
agencies have argued for government policies on the sustainable development of forests by governments
across the globe. While many countries have instituted national policies and programs aimed at
reducing deforestation, and substantial research has been advanced in regard to sustainable and regenerative
forestry development, there has been very little progress on an international level. Generally
speaking, most tropical rainforests are located in developing and less developed countries, where economic
growth is often dependent upon the exploitation of tropical rainforests. Timber resources as well
as wildlife hunting tend to be particularly lucrative arenas.
In places such as the Amazon, where deforestation takes place for the construction of energy plants
aimed at industrialization and economic development, there is an exacerbated effect on the environment.
After forests are cleared in order to construct such projects, massive flooding usually ensues.
The remaining trees then rot and decay in the wake of the flooding. As the trees deteriorate, their biochemical
makeup becomes more acidic, producing poisonous substances such as hydrogen sulphide
and methane gases. Acidified water subsequently corrodes the mechanical equipment and operations
of the plants, which are already clogged by rotting wood after the floodwaters rise.
Deforestation generally arises from an economically plausible short-term motivation, but nonetheless
poses a serious global concern because the effects go beyond national boundaries. The United Nations
has established the World Commission on Forest and Sustainable Development. This body's task is to
determine the optimal means of dealing with the issue of deforestation, without unduly affecting normal
economic development, while emphasizing the global significance of protecting tropical forest
ecosystems.
5. Water Resources
For all terrestrial fauna, including humans, water is the most immediate necessity to sustain life. As the
population has increased and altered an ever-greater portion of the landscape from its natural condition,
demand on water resources has intensified, especially with the development of industrialization
Namibia Review 2013 204