People continue to engage in harmful behaviors toward the environment. In Africa, environmental crimes have increased, similar to other regions.
The UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) states that environmental crimes have become the fourth largest form of organized crime in the world, following drug trafficking, counterfeiting, and human trafficking.
The most well-known examples of these crimes include illegal hunting, illegal fishing, the smuggling of substances that damage the ozone layer, illegal logging, and timber trade.
The continent has historically been rich in natural resources and biodiversity, but recently, this has been increasingly damaged. Therefore, fighting against this degradation has become an urgent necessity.
Dr. Adedoyin Adeleke pointed out that Africa loses $195 billion annually due to these issues, a figure that is more than ten times the total budget of Nigeria, one of the continent’s largest economies. He also mentioned that this number could double in the next two years.
He highlighted that the problem is not only economic, as food security and employment could also be affected by environmental crimes.
“Sadly, our abundant biodiversity coupled with endemic poverty, weak regulatory frameworks, and low risks of detection and conviction make Africa a prime target for illegal mining, wildlife trafficking, illegal logging, hazardous waste dumping, and other environmental violations,”
“These violations are concentrated in remote and marginalized communities, areas often beyond the reach of conventional security, government, and even media. While these crimes are properly called ‘crimes against the environment,’ in reality, they can be described as ‘crimes against humanity’ given their far-reaching economic and social implications.”
“These illicit activities not only devastate ecosystems and the lives of millions of Africans dependent on ecosystem services but also fuel corruption, promote money laundering, and weaken the rule of law.”
“As such, developing African economies lose billions in potential revenues and development opportunities, while a small group of criminals reaps the profits – leading to the quandary which in Nigerian parlance may be described as ‘monkey dey work, baboon dey chop.’”
The use of technology could be the biggest solution to these issues. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that digital technologies could play a functional role in reversing the negative situation, but he also emphasized that this solution is not a silver bullet. He noted that digital technology should be integrated with other solutions to be effective.
To combat environmental crimes, Green Growth Africa launched the EcoJustice Africa initiative. EcoJustice Africa focuses on empowering citizens through digital innovation, data verification, stakeholder engagement, evidence-based advocacy, data-driven policy engagement, and strategic litigation to promote environmental justice in Africa.
The strategic use of such digital technologies can help track environmental crimes and violations, potentially preventing these issues to a certain extent. However, if Africa wants to fight environmental crimes effectively, it must try to use all alternative solutions efficiently.
