SA environment is deteriorating rapidly: report

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Danette Breitenbach

According to a group of scientists from Yale and Columbia universities who worked in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, South Africa's natural environment has, over the past 20 years, deteriorated faster than most countries in the world.

The group measured the state of the environment in 132 countries. South Africa was in 128th place, with Iraq last on the list, News24 reports.

The researchers measured and compared the current state of human health with that of 1992, and used 22 indicators, concluding that Switzerland excelled in managing and conserving its natural environment. The quality of Swiss air and water, its biodiversity and the management and conservation of ecosystems were all found to be the best in the world. According to the report, South Africa's air and water quality, its biodiversity, the functionality of its ecosystems and its agricultural and aquacultural systems, have all seriously deteriorated.

Countries with similar levels of performance were Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Mexico, while countries with similar trend performance from 2000 to 2010 were India, Kenya, Panama, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan. According to News24, the Wildlife and Environment Society of SA Director, Garth Barnes, said the findings were shocking. It was clear, he said, that environmental laws in South Africa were not being applied, even though the country had some of the best environmental legislation in the world.

Read the full article on www.news24.com.
The full report is available online at http://epi.yale.edu/.