east africa
The subregion of East Africa lies between 21 north latitude and 11 south latitude. The Tropic of Cancer crosses southern Egypt near its border with the Sudan. With eight countries (Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, the Sudan, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania),[31] East Africa covers a land {region|area} of {five|5}.9 million square kilometres. The Sudan, with a land {region|area} of 2.{four|4} million square kilometres, is the largest country in Africa. The subregion is bordered by the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean on the east (Figure 16-1).
east africa
East Africa is a {fairly|relatively} dry {region|area} strongly influenced by the Sahara Desert. Desert covers {much more|more} than 1 million square kilometres, {such as|including} all of the northern Sudan. The climate is characterized by high temperatures and low precipitation ({much less|less} than 200 mm)
east africa
. {Extremely|Very} arid and semi-arid climates are also {discovered|found} in Somalia, Djibouti and along the coast of Eritrea, with annual rainfall ranging between 400 and 750 mm. Most of Ethiopia and the mountains of Kenya have montane climates with {greater|higher} rainfall and lower temperatures. Uganda and the coast of the United Republic of Tanzania are mostly characterized by a {extremely|very} humid climate with high temperatures and a {extremely|very} short dry season. The rest of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda have typical tropical climates with a {lengthy|long} dry season.
East Africa has suffered from {numerous|many} social {issues|problems}. The Sudan is involved in a civil war in the southern {component|part} the country and Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia have been devastated by war. {A lot|Much} of the population of Rwanda crossed the border to seek refuge in Tanzania and Uganda. Refugees from Somalia are in Ethiopia and Kenya. The effects of war, combined with the severe climate, have placed increased pressure on the land and have had a heavy impact {via|through} deforestation. Fires are a {main|major} {issue|problem}. Desertification has increased, {particularly|especially} in the Sudan where 13 of its 26 states have been declared “affected by desertification” by the UN Convention for Combating Desertification (El Hassan and Mohamed 1999).
FOREST RESOURCES
{Simply because|Because} of the {extremely|very} {tough|difficult} social {scenario|situation}, there is {small|little} {info|information} on the forest resources of East Africa. Only {three|3} countries have {fairly|relatively} new {information|data}. Eritrea has recent forest cover mapping with a reference year of 1997 (FAO 1997). Tanzania has {lately|recently} completed a land cover/forest mapping project with a reference year of 1995 (United Republic of Tanzania HTS 1997). Uganda has a biomass inventory dated 1992 (Uganda FD 1996). The Sudan has a partial forest inventory that covers the “gum belt” regions (Sudan FNC 2000). The other countries (Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia) have old and fragmented {info|information}.
east africa
Estimates by local {specialists|experts} {supplied|provided} the {information|data} for these countries (Bekele 2000 Ndambiri and Kahuki, 2000). The total forest {region|area} assessed by forest inventories is {much less|less} than .{five|5} million square kilometres and corresponds to about a third of the total forest cover. The largest {region|area} of the forest cover is in the Sudan, with 46 percent, followed by Tanzania with 29 percent and Kenya with 13 percent. The remaining 12 percent is {situated|located} in the rest of the subregion. The forest {region|area} of the subregion accounts for 21 percent of the total forest {region|area} of Africa and {four|4} percent of the world’s forests (Figure 16-2, Table 16-1).
east africa
Natural forests in East Africa total 134 million hectares. Uganda has the highest deforestation rate, but the largest {region|area} of deforestation occurs in the Sudan, where it is estimated that {nearly|almost} 1 million hectares are deforested annually.
east africa
The heavy deforestation occurring in the subregion is not balanced by tree planting. The {main|primary} use of wood in East Africa is for fuel. {Regardless of|Despite} successive wars the Government of Eritrea has set up a programme to {safeguard|protect} natural forests by permanent and temporary closures of areas of natural vegetation, replanting of indigenous species and increases in the areas of plantations (FAO 1997). The tree planting programme focuses to a {big|large} extent on planting Acacia senegal for the production of gum arabic. The most recent tree planting efforts in Ethiopia {had been|were} in the 1970s when {substantial|significant} areas of eucalyptus plantations {had been|were} established. {These days|Today} most of these areas are degraded. The Ethiopian Forestry Action {Strategy|Plan} of 1994 {suggested|recommended} a {significant|serious} programme of tree planting {inside|within} the next 20 years. Kenya established {substantial|significant} areas of plantations {throughout|during} the 1970s and 1980s (Kenya MENR 1994), but the {region|area} planted declined in the 1990s. {Simply because|Because} of civil war {nearly|almost} no tree planting activity has been reported in Somalia. The Sudan has the largest {region|area} of plantations with {substantial|significant} areas of Acacia senegal and A. nilotica (Sudan FNC 2000). Plantations in Tanzania are estimated to be .{three|3} percent of the total forest {region|area} and this is predicted to {improve|increase} in the future. The most {essential|important} {item|product} is fuelwood. To meet {growing|increasing} demand and secure its sustainable resources, Tanzania has {lately|recently} revised its forestry strategic {strategy|plan}. Forests supply about 90 percent of the energy demand in Uganda. {Nevertheless|However}, plantations only account for 1 percent of the total forest {region|area}.
east africa
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