Zaire : country environmental profile

This report assesses the country"s natural resource base and the demands placed upon it by human society. Zaire"s resource conservation and management capacity is analyzed, with reference to social, legislative, administrative, educational, and economic factors. Major constraints to effective resource utilization and management are then identified. These include: inadequacies in transportation, planning, and resource data; political corruption; and the failure to provide financial support for enforcing environmental laws and decrees. Specific environmental problems are evaluated within the context of national objectives. For example, the report notes that two severe problems - deforestation and illegal hunting - result from demand for a natural product. Other problems discussed are: (1) water pollution, (2) soil erosion, (3) underutilization of fisheries, and (4) the environmental ramifications of urban growth. The report underscores the urgency of implementing corrective measures by stating that some of Zaire"s environmental problems would be worsening today even if corrective action had been initiated a decade ago. Several recommendations for specific government interventions are presented. Includes bibliography, 17 tables, and an appendix.