The Sustainable Development and Integration of Africa within the Global Context

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The aim of this paper is to investigate ways to assist Africa to address its deteriorating position within the global context by becoming financially more self-sufficient and more independent. This paper proffers three ways in which NEPAD can assist to make Africa financially more self-sufficient. The obvious starting point is to utilise Africa’s comprehensive comparative advantage of favourable climate, animal wildlife, eco-tourism and scenic beauty. Through NEPAD initiatives better and safer services can attract more tourists to Africa. Secondly, private ownership and secure property rights can be developed and guaranteed by the African Union and NEPAD throughout Africa. Property title must also be provided for poor communities and informal settlements. Thirdly, the environmental degradation must be addressed and where possible reversed in Africa. The principle of payment for conservation is already firmly established and Africa must use this to its advantage. Through integration, cooperation and communication between African countries, the development potential can be improved for all, including the poor communities and countries. NEPAD can use the global agenda and mutually beneficial partnerships with the developed world to achieve its aims.

Stream: Economic Sustainability

Paper: Sustainable Development and Integration of Africa within the Global Context, The

Prof Ronald Mears is currently the Sub-head of the Department of Economics at the University of Johannesburg, where he also did his PhD on “Migration and urbanization: Some theories and applications for South Africa.” Development Economics, urbanization and migration and environmental issues in Africa are his main areas of interest and he has done extensive academic research in these fields. He has produced as many as 27 publications and 50 papers for conferences. He has also had strong practical experience and exposure, mainly through study tours undertaken. In 1996 he visited Canada, the USA, Chile and Brazil where he did research at the IMF and World Bank and also paid visits to the mega cities Santiago, New York, London and Cairo. He visited Sao Paulo, Prague, Budapest and Vienna in 2000, Dubai, Cyprus and Egypt in 2002. Further study tours to study migration and urbanisation include Sao Paul, Santos and Iguassu falls in Brazil in 2003 and Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Montevideo (Uruguay) in 2003. He is currently a member of the Economic Society and also examiner, research supervisor and moderator for honours and masters essays, as well as for PhD students.