Some Indigenous Solutions to African Environmental Problems: An Appraisal

Year 2019, Volume: 2 Issue: 3 - Advancing African Environmental Ethics, 146 - 152, 01.07.2019

Leonard Nwoye

Abstract

The paper, Some Indigenous Solutions to African Environmental Problems: An Appraisal, was written to examine the relevance of African Environmental Philosophies to addressing African environmental problems. African environmental problems include: water pollution, air pollution, land pollution, climate change, flood and many more. Researchers have shown that these problems are caused by phenomena like coal mining, nuclear waste, deforestation, overfishing, wars, and industrial agriculture soil waste pollution. It is a known fact that attempts have been made over the years to resolve these problems, with pockets of successes, yet more needs to be done. Nigeria’s Niger Delta Development Commission, Kenya’s Biosafty Act 2009, The National Environment Policy of Ghana, Oil Pipeline Act 2004, Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Act 2004 are a good example of such attempts with pockets of successes and challenges. This work used the methods of rational speculation and critical analysis to examine aboriginal approaches to resolving African environmental challenges as recorded in Mark Omorovie Ikeke’s Philosophical Consciences, Caroline N. Mbonu’s Ecospiritualism, Thaddeus Metz’s Model Relationalism, and Chimakonam Jonathan Okeke’s Ohanifism. This work charged African environmental policymakers, Lecturers, and Students with the responsibility to understand and apply the theoretical foundation for sustainable living as recorded in the above philosophies. There is a time when Africans must use indigenous African methods and principles to proffer solutions to African environmental problems. That time is now!

Keywords

Environment, Indigenous Solutions, Taboo, Totem

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