Para / To:

WATER RESOURCES AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT IN AFRICA

Future research

In the post-II World War period, the perceptions and discourses about security shifted, and the environment became part of security concerns. Some authors went further and developed theories about “resources exhaustion” and “environmental conflicts” over-emphasising the potential consequences of population growth. This perception entails a Malthusian and deterministic perspective about the relationship between population and environment. This discourse became widely spread by the media, reinforcing “populist” beliefs and defocusing scientific analysis. Evidence shows “water wars” for instance are very unlikely, whether in Africa or Middle East. Besides natural and ecological issues often ignore the crucial explanatory variable – power relations. Little literature has been released about the role of power relations determining hydro-political, self-sustained development and crisis management relations and discourses. Within this theoretical framework we propose as general goals:

1. Analysis of the program of the building of hydraulic infra-structures in some case-studies of African natural environment;
2. Analysis of the changes in the quality and the type of life of the respective populations;
3. Analysis of the changes of the incidence of natural catastrophes, mainly of draughts and floods in some African environments;
4. Analysis of the institutional achievement

For each case-study selected there will be special objectives:

1. Analysis of the changes in social and cultural conditions;
2. Analysis of the changes in economic conditions (average level of life and economic sectors – agriculture, tourism and agro-industry).
3. Analysis of the forms of management of water resources;
4. Studies of the impact of the program on elements of environment and in the diminishing of the effects of the catastrophes;
5. Analysis of the organising structure of the Civil Protection.

Researchers