With the recent dehorning of a rhino and the wounding of its companion in the Hardap region of Namibia (just south of Windhoek), the issue of conservation is once more brought to the spotlight. Far too often, it is thought that the issues of conservation and environmental protections do not belong in the realm of policy discussions. That mistaken notion could not be further from the truth.
Overhunting, and in general the overexertion of the natural world by mankind, not only creates accompanying ethical and moral problems, but political and economic problems as well. As animals are driven to extinction, ecosystems are thrown completely into disarray which can have disasterous effects on the surrounding human populations. These affected human populations can then be forced to migrate, which anyone who has followed the politics of Europe and Africa for the last few years can see can causes enormous problems.
The desires of poachers in Africa are perhaps not always as nefarious as they are portrayed, some are simply trying to provide for their families through the extremely lucrative and illicit game trade with East Asia. However, their actions will only continue to exacerbate Africa’s economic and political problems and governments across the continent must take this issue more seriously. In the Guardian, conservation expert Paula Kahumbu estimated the dollar value losses to development to African countries from the negative press and general environmental disarray caused “in the billions”.
Moving forward, it is important that nations across Africa work together to end the insidious practice of poaching. As the effects of climate change continue to make themselves felt across the globe, it will be critical to minimize the damage it brings. One important step that should be taken is exerting pressure upon the Chinese to better regulate their imports to cut down on the entry of the illegal goods into the People’s Republic. China’s business interests in Africa could be utilized as leverage in that debate.
The environmental fiasco in Africa affects the rest of the world as well, which must serve as an impetus to western nations to fund anti-poaching efforts. If Africa’s ecosystems collapse, the mass exodus of refugees to the European Union could prove pressure enough to topple that already teetering organization. A weakened EU in turn would embolden Russian designs on Eastern Europe, encroaching on many nations in NATO. It is thus in the West’s interests to pre-emptively stop that from happening.