Planning and Management of Natural Resources: A Case of Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

The world population has been increasing over time, causing an increase in demand for natural resources and threatening their replenishment. Most natural resources are non renewable. Excessive and unplanned exploitation leads to extinction, acute scarcity, widespread pollution, and uncertain feedback loops. This raises a need to discover new techniques which can effectively help in exploitation without compromising the needs and desires of future generations. There have been attempts to formulate policies on the usage of natural resources for most developing countries, especially those in the Sub-Saharan Africa, but planning and management of these resources still remains a major concern. Existing policies need to be re-evaluated to determine the rationale behind their failures. New policies focusing on planning and management of natural resources also need to be formulated and effectively implemented to improve economic growth and development. This paper reports on research, technologies and options for sustainable natural resource utilization and effective management of land, water, soil, wildlife, minerals and forests in the horn of Africa. It is possible to achieve sustainable development by controlling natural resources through proper management and planning.