since 1990. However, the goal of reducing child mortality by two-thirds has
not been achieved in any country and death rates remain at relatively high
With regard to improving maternal health (MDG 5), progress is also slow.
Indeed, Equatorial Guinea is the only country to have achieved so far the goal of reducing maternal mortality by three quarters between 1990 and 2015 . As for other countries, six showed a decrease in their rate ofmaternal mortality, with remarkable performances in Angola (450 in 2010 against 1200 in 1995), DRC (540 against 870) and Sao Tome e Principe (70 against 120) while three countries have instead not performed well. From the point of view of the percentage of births attended by skilled health personnel, the results are also mixed.
In terms of the fight against HIV / AIDS, malaria and other diseases (MDG 6), ef
forts are still needed. Reflecting the de- , ..
.... , . . _ . ,, the life expectancy of people
li-chne in the number of new infections, the . . .
i ,TmM. TT-.C- u a r a ■ vtna with this infection, prevalence of HIV/AIDS has declined in w
Improved access to antiretroviral treatment (ART) has increased
most countries, the largest decrease being
CAR where the percentage of the population aged 15 to 49 living with HIV droppedfrom 9.4% in 2000 to 4.7% in 2009. Improved access to antiretro viral treatment (ART) has increased the life expectancy of people living with this infection, even though the percentage of people with advanced HIV infection with access to ART remained below 50% in 2010 in all coun tries except Gabon. Regarding the incidence rate of tuberculosis, it increa sed in eight out ofthe ten countries in 2010 compared with 1990.For malaria , Angola, Burundi, Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe are the only countries that have shown mortalityrates due to the disease per 100 000 in 2008 less than 100 inhabitants .
Concerning the establishment of a global partnership for development (MDG 8) , the results are mixed. Indeed, the treatment of foreign debt and, to a lesser extent, access to essential medicines and technology transfer are areas where some progress is noticeable. The accession to the completion point of the HIPC Initiative has allowed several central African countries to benefit from substantial reductions in external debt. In addition, all coun tries have experienced a considerable growth of mobile telephony. Further more, in terms of official development assistance (ODA) and foreign direct investments (FDI), the sub region has not really benefited from the influx of capital to developing countries observed during the last decade. Similarly, market access and promotion of international trade have suffered not only from the weakness of production equipment, but also from delays in the process of negotiating a number of international trade agreements, including the WTO and EPA agreements.
Ultimately, primary school enrollment, the fight against HIV/AIDS and the treatment of external debt are the only areas in which there have been real
The Economies of Central Africa - 2013
duction of extreme poverty and hunger .
The choice made of MDG 7 in this chapter is the peculiarity of Central Africa, especially in view of its endowment in natural resources and the in terest shown by authorities in the sub-region to the question of sustainable
development. In this regard, the
sub-re-r ~. ~ .. . "~ I gion has a climate type moist sub humid,
Forest ecosystems that span b. , , ,/F„ _ „ . . u dry or dry depending on the region, be-the Congo Basin ts be-the second r:. 1 , , . . ^ , , . '
cause ot its stretching latitude and its po-largest tropical forest in the world
after the Amazon. sition on either side of the equator. This climatic diversity combined with a wealth of natural environments, the ecosystems of forests, savannah and Sahelian coexist.Forest ecosystems that span the Congo Basin is the second largest tropical forest in the world after the Ama zon. They represent 91.1 % of the dense humid forests ofAfrica and thus constitute important bearing carbon sinks that could make important envi ronmental services to the world.
Its forest ecosystems contain more than 60% of biodiversity in Africa, and Central Africa ranks first African regions by its rich fauna and flora. It also has considerable water network , with the Congo River which is part of Africa's largest rivers . This abundance of water makes it the largest conti nent hydroelectric potential and is a real opportunity for the sub-region , given the increasing emphasis on the promotion of low- emitting energy sources gas effects emissions.
Its natural resources are not only strategic for the planet but also indispen sable for most inhabitants of the sub- region that are directly dependent to ensure their livelihood . Indeed, up to 63 % of its population lives in rural areas and a large part of it depends on the one hand, forest resources such as timber in the heating and construction , on the other animals and plants as sources of food , clothing and manufacture of household utensils.
The sub-region also has abundant non-renewable resources based on fossil fuels. Indeed , the majority of countries in the sub -region are producers and net exporters ofoil. However, fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal) are the source significant CO2 emissions and global warming,
especially when burned. The practice of "flaring" gases from the production of oil for example, contribute to significantly increase greenhouse gas emis sions.
In this context, and in view ofthe need to reconcile the imperatives of eco nomic growth and environmental protection, optimum utilization of natural resources is a challenge for central Africa. To boost their efforts to impro-veenvironmental sustainability, the countries of the sub region have adop ted a number of institutional and legal arrangements. At the international
change and the fight against desertification, and support other commitments to sustainable20 development. At the sub regional level, the Heads of State and Government adopted the Convergence Plan of the Commission of Cen tral African Forests (COMIFAC) in 2005 and the policy of ECCAS on en vironmental management and natural resources in 2007. To carry out its mission of coordinating all sub-regional initiatives in environmental and natural resource management, ECCAS also enjoys the support of some spe cialized21 organizations and several other entities, partners or projects of sub-regional22 interest, the use of environmental resources involves several governmental structures at central and local levels.
Another argument that guided the choice of MDG 7 is the role of ecosystem conservation and rational management of natural resources in achieving the MDGs.Indeed, it is agreed thatnatural disasters can hinder the achievement of MDGs 1,2,4,5 and 6 through the destruction of food crops, schools and hospitals especially in the poorest regions. Ecosystem degradation and de ficiencies in drinking water and sanitation facilities also have significant health effects, resulting in an increase in the incidence of diseases (Goals
20. The Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982), the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer ( 1988), the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (1989 ), the Convention United Nations Framework on Climate change (UNFCCC , 1992), the Convention on bio logical diversity ( 1992), the UN Convention on the fight against desertification (UNCCD , 1994), the Kyoto Protocol to the Convention framework Convention on Climate change ( 1997), the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety technological (2000), the Vienna Convention on Persistent Organic pollutants (2001 ). 21. Forestry Commission of Central Africa Power Pool of Central Africa ( PEAC ), the Re gional Commission for Fisheries of the Gulf of Guinea (PRC) . 22. Conference on ecosystems dense humid forests of Central Africa (CEFDHAC ) OSFAC / GOFC the FOSA (Forestry Outlook Study in Africa) , the SAFROGEN (South Africa Forest Genetic Resources Program ), IUFRO (Union the in ternational forestry Research ), the Association for the development of Information on the Environment and the Regional Programme for environmental management in- training (ADIE / PRGIE), the Network for environment and Development sustainable Development in Africa (NESDA), the Central African Regional Program for the Environment ( CARPE ), the ACPC ( Network of protected areas in Central Africa 1. the PFBC ( ECOFAC ( forest Ecosystems in Central Africa) partnership for the forests of the
The Economies of Central Africa - 2013
4, 5 and 6). The World Health Organization (WHO) also admits that fet ching water and firewood, which is often the domain of women in develo ping23 countriesare not only an obstacle to women's empowerment and gender equality (Goal3), but also an obstacle to the exercise of income-ge
nerating activities that can help combat extreme poverty (Goal 1). Finally, more and more development partners include the activities of environmental manage-Ecosystem degradation and de
ficiencies in drinking water and sanitation facilities also have
si-■*■ A u uu. cc i. ment and natural resources in projects
m-gnificant health effects. ... . . f . .
eluding agriculture, water and sanitation (Goal8)24.
Everything being considered, the link between MDG 7 and the other MDGs makes one suggest that the poor performance of central Africa under the MDGs may also result from an unsustainable environment, regardless of ineffective national social policies and insufficient external inputs.
Apart from the introduction, this chapter is divided into four sections co vering the various targets of MDG 7, namely:(i) integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes and reverse the loss of environmental resources (ii) reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss, (iii) to halve by 2015 the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation services, (iv) achieve, by 2020, a significant im provement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers.
The evaluation of the above four targets is done through monitoring indi cators of progress for which data relating to the central African sub-region are available.
23. UNDP reports that recent studies confirm the empirical observations that it is mainly women who are responsible for fetching water when the household is not supplied. Women are twice likely to be responsible for fetching water than men.
24. The activities of environmental management and natural resources renresent 9% of the totalitv of
Section 1 - Integrate the principles of sustainable development in national policies and programs and reverse the loss of en vironmental resources
Central Africa is characterized by institutional diversity in the daily mana gement of environmental and natural resources. This institutional diversity is materialized by the existence of several regional organizations created at the behest of the States of the region.
The existence of several regional institutions specialized in the field is seen as an asset in the sense that it can cover all the aspects that relate to envi ronmental protection and sustainable management of natural resources.
These are, among others, the Conference of ecosystems of dense humid fo rests of central Africa (CEFDHAC ) , the Organization for the conservation of wildlife in central Africa ( OCFSA ), the International Development Agency of Environmental Information (AD1E ), the network of protected areas in Central Africa ( ACPC ), the Commission of Central African forests ( COMIFAC) , the Regional Commission of the Gulf of Guinea fisheries (PRC ), the International River Basin Commission Congo- Ubangi- Sangha (JRCC),etc. .
Each of these institutions is specialized in relevant issues for the region, andhave a major role to play in the conservation and sustainable manage ment of natural ecosystems.
This section will examine the consistency and relevance of actions in the light of the NEPADenvironmental initiative action plan.
It will assess the progress made in the protection of forest and protected areas, analyze carbon dioxide emissions per capita and their impact on the ozone layer.
According to the Millennium Declaration on MDG 7 , the proportion of fo rest area is defined as the area of natural forests and forest plantations as a percentage of the total land area. The purpose of this indicator is that it al lows evaluation of the relative importance of the forest in a country.
Changes in forest area reflect the demand for land for other competing uses.
The forest contributes greatly to humanity because it provides goods, en sures protection against floods, carbon sequestration, watershed protection and soil conservation.
The Economies of Central Africa - 2013
The decrease in forest cover and degradation pose a real threat to the live lihoods ofpeople, particularly in rural areas where these factors are sources of employment and income. During the period 1990-2010, only two coun tries in Central Africa, namely Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe, managed to stop the degradation of forest cover (Graph 2.1). It was more than 50%
in 1990 for at least five countries: Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and DRC. Forest areas in Burundi, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Chad deteriorated between 1990 and 201025. Degradation of forest cover is due, among other things by the fact that rural areas of countries of central Africa mainly resort to biomass, namely, charcoal as a fuel for coo king and heating. The use of biomass asfuel isdetrimentalto the forest, re ducing biodiversity, the soil's ability to retain rain water, etc. In 2010, only
Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and DRC exceeded the 50% ceiling.In addi tion, large-scale mining and infrastructure Degradation of forest cover is
due, among other things by the fact that rural areas of countries