African eco-philosophy and its implications for ecological integrity in Africa

Abstract

The defilement of Mother Earth by humans has caused untold damage to the environment, and is especially accelerated by commercial interests driven solely to increase profits by extracting as much as possible from Nature. Short-term human interests, fuelled by an insatiable drive to accumulate money and power, have been enshrined in various laws with total disregard for the well-being of the living Earth Community. As a continent, Africa is laden with environmental problems that may not necessarily be peculiar to it. However, strategies to tackle them would be more efficient if they are borne out of local (indigenous) ideologies. This chapter will demonstrate how the engagement of African eco relationalism has significant potentials to preserve the ecological integrity of Mother Nature on the continent and beyond. It will begin by discussing environmental problems which are prevalent in Africa and indeed, the rest of the world; and thereafter proceed by interrogating the relationalism element of African eco philosophy and how it can be applied to address the environmental problems discussed.