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Poverty is endemic in many areas of Africa and a rapidly growing population
continues to rely on natural resources and agriculture for much of its
economic productivity and for the provision of basic human needs. These
conditions leave the region highly vulnerable to adverse impacts of environmental
change. Further insights are offered below into what the scenarios mean
for land, forests, biodiversity, freshwater and coastal and marine resources,
all crucial to the sustainability of Africa's economies and livelihoods.
Also explored (see box) is the destiny under
each scenario of an African Environmental Protection Commission, established
under the recently formed African Union.
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