As a result of centuries of colonial oppression and exploitation, the fight for environmental justice in Africa has been stymied. The colonial exploitation of land in Africa has not only had a long-lasting impact on the African environment, but it has also had an impact on the environmental protection policies and practices in Africa. In light of this, international environmental law has failed to address and recognize the peculiar nature of environmental vulnerability in Africa, as indicated by its historical and normative development. The socioeconomic power of developed states has it impacts on the environmental vulnerability of countries, particularly the least developed countries (LDCs) in Africa. With their socioeconomic power, rich countries have transferred environmental hazards to developing countries, many of which are located in Africa. Many indigenous people in Africa’s had an early environmental philosophy which was ethnocentric. The spiritual connection to the land and its biological features prompted this. The contemporary anthropocentric exploitation of the African environment is developed from colonial environmental interactions and their depletive propensity to impoverish African societies.
The colonial arrangement, which had seen the environmental concerns of the West define the goals of the international environmental law regime, exacerbates environmental injustice in Africa through racial politics and values even today. Environmental impact assessment rules, on the other hand, have not been able to stop environmental degradation as they were intended to. Electronic waste trade has emerged as the most insidious kind of pollution, with disastrous long-term effects on Africa’s ecosystems. Environmental rule of law governing the allocation of environmental risks in Africa can help achieve environmental justice throughout the continent. To further help, Africa’s emerging economies need to engage heavily, the use of renewable energy sources for economic and environmental sustainability.
With regard to Africa’s environmental ties with developed countries, the racial privilege that deprives international environmental law of the ability to confront environmental racism and other forms of racism is inherited from colonialism. Colonialism eroded Africa’s commitment to defend its environment from former colonizers, leading to increased exploitation of the continent’s natural resources. Colonialism’s imperialist values created racial privilege. The link between racial privilege and environmental justice can be seen in the many ways in which environmental objectives can be racialized.
Wealthy countries’ economic goals have often been known to lead to increased environmental vulnerability, in the developing world. Africa is particularly vulnerable to environmental degradation because of its poor socioeconomic conditions and weak regulatory institutions. The failure of international environmental law to safeguard Africa from the exploitation of its vulnerabilities ensured that international environmental law was complicit in Africa’s lack of environmental justice. International environmental law does not guarantee political action. Instead, political action would only be motivated by the promotion of an environmental rule of law.
The African Union has to do more to address environmental concerns in Africa. The organization might set up a commission to monitor and support environmental practices that benefit Africa’s most disadvantaged populations as part of its legal and policymaking efforts. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that monitor environmental pollution at the ground level could provide valuable information to this agency. The African Union may interact with the UN on climate and environmental concerns by sharing information and forming working partnerships with various UN agencies. The environmental crisis in Africa would only be exacerbated if the continent relied solely on fossil fuels to power its economies. In order to achieve sustainable economic development. Africa may encourage green industrialization by granting tax rebates and other economic incentives to enterprises that choose to power their operations with renewable energy.
This article was adapted from the findings of the author’s PhD research study at the Babcock University School of Law & Security Studies Nigeria.
