Creating and Protecting Zambias Wealth - Essay Example

?Annotated Bibliography Aongola et al. Creating and protecting Zambia’s wealth: experience and next steps in environmental mainstreaming. Natural Resource Issues 14(2009): 10-85. Accessed from http://pubs.iied.org/pdfs/17502IIED.pdf The authors provide a critical analysis of political, economic and environmental issues in Zambia. The authors provide refreshing ideas on how Zambian wealth could be enhanced through formulation of better policies on environment in a country that heavily relies on copper mining for its economic mainstay. The authors acknowledge that development of Zambian economy mainly relies on “prudent environmental management”. To ensure the preservation of wealth in the country, Aongola et al emphasize on the need of promoting “sustainable development” in all sectors of Zambian economy. The authors refer extensively to previous research on Zambian economy and resources. This article provided me with a wider perspective of Zambian natural resources and social, political impediments that causes unsustainable utilization of resources. 2. Campbell, et al. Miombo woodlands: Opportunities and barriers to sustainable forests management. 2007. 2 June 2011. Retrieved from http://www.cifor.cgiar.org/miombo/docs/Campbell_BarriersandOpportunities.pdf The authors are natural resources experts, with many years of teaching experience in Universities across southern Africa. This article focuses on the Miombo Woodland, extensive tropical and seasonal woodland that covers an approximately 2.7 million Km2 across seven southern African countries including Zambia. The authors provide an overview of the critical role that Miombo woodland play in maintaining livelihoods of about 100 million inhabitants in southern Africa. The authors note, “high poverty levels in these countries have resulted to overexploitation of the woodland, a situation that threatens the ecological balance in Zambia”. This article provides an important contribution to this paper by highlighting the importance of Miombo woodland resources in mitigating poverty in Zambia and other southern African states. 3. Dorothy, F. A review of economic, governance and natural resource policy reform in southern Africa, with special reference to the case of Zambia. 11 Oct 2004. 1 June 2011. Retrieved from http://www.infra.kth.se/courses/1H1142/Furberg_EconChange.pdf This article focuses on the economic, governance and natural resources policies in Zambia. The author identifies lack of equitable and sustainable economic development as the main challenges that undermine social, political and economic development in Zambia. The author attributes the current environmental and economic problems in Zambia to previous political regimes in the country that instigated “poor political systems and environmental policies in the country”. The article provides a refreshing historical overview of Zambian political evolution and how it has influenced exploitation of natural resources in the country to date. 4. Jumbe, et al. Contributions of the Dry Forests to Rural Livelihoods and the National Economy in Zambia. 2007. 2 June 2011. Retrieved from http://www.cifor.cgiar.org/miombo/docs/ZambiaNationalCaseStudy.pdf The authors have critically evaluated the role of dry forests in enhancing economy of Zambia especially in the rural regions. According to the authors, dry forests in Zambia are important sources of wood, firewood, honey, wild fruits, traditional medicine, agriculture and an important source of income among the rural residents. This article is refreshing because it focuses on forest, an important non- mining resource in the Zambian economy. 5. MTENR. National Policy on Environment: Zambia. May 2005. 1 June 2011. www.mtenr.gov.zm/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc The article is the policy document of the Zambian government on the environment and it highlights the strategic goals of development through utilization of natural resources. The government ministries, including tourism, environment and natural resources, agriculture and other stakeholders formulated the strategic goals the policy, which complies with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This national policy is important to the writing of this research paper because it is guided by principle of establishing an integrated mechanism of decision-making, legislation, financing mechanisms and regulation in respect to Zambia’s environment. 6. World Bank. “What are the constraints to inclusive growth in Zambia? Economic policy and debt working paper no 44286.” The World Bank, Washington DC, 2008.pp 31-97. The World Bank investigates the impediments to equitable growth in Zambia in this article. According to the World Bank, high foreign debts in the country are an indicator of faulty developmental policies in Zambia. The World Bank notes that poor implementation of the structural adjustment programs and free market has played a critical role in propagating poverty and uneven economic development in the Zambian population. This provides a crucial assessment on how foreign policies affect economic development in developing countries. Read More