EM80765 Regional Ecology and Environmental Degradation
Trimester 2
- The Eastern Africa sub-region consists of large plateaus and has most of the highest altitudes on the continent (Mts. Kilimanjaro, Kenya, Elgon, Ruwenzori, Karisimbi, etc.).
- The sub-region is covered by the Eastern great Rift Valley that runs from the junction of the red sea with the gulf of Barber southward through Ethiopia and Kenya’s plateaus and moves across to Tanzania.
- The Western Rift Valley (also called “Albertine Rift’) covers the borders of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania from the west.
- Between the eastern and the western rift valleys lies a plateau that runs across most of Uganda and western Tanzania, taking part of Lake Victoria, the second largest freshwater lake in the world.
- The demographic and socioeconomic situation poses great dangers to the survival of man and nature in this region and in some cases contribute to many aspects of environmental degradation (forest degradation, wildlife poaching, soil erosion, over-fishing and water pollution).
- This module of “Regional Ecology and Environmental Degradation” aims at describing and explaining major ecological characteristics of Eastern Africa sub-region (islands located within Indian Ocean excluded) in a changing environment.
- In details, the module will focus on the following thematic areas: types of geo-physical features (geology, relief, climate, biogeography and soils); demographic and socioeconomic aspects, vulnerability to natural and man-made factors of environmental degradation; existing mitigation and adaptation strategies to reverse them & assessment of existing regional development strategies and policies on environmental restoration and/or sustainability. As case study, a 3-day field visit in two or major ecological landscapes of Rwanda (lowland, central plateau and highland) where different aspects environmental degradation are visible will be made.