Protected land as percentage of total land area: 9% (6% partially protected)

CO₂ emissions trend: 0.08 tonnes per capita

ENVIRONMENTAL TREATIES

		Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Washington DC, 1973		yes
		Convention on Biological Diversity Earth Summit in Rio, 1992		yes
		1992 Amendment to protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer (amendment to Montreal Protocol) Copenhagen, 1992		yes
		Kyoto Convention on reduction of greenhouse gas emissions Earth Summit in Kyoto, 1997		no
		Basel convention on the dumping of hazardous wastes (Basel) Basel, 1989		yes
		Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar) Ramsar, Iran 1971		no

Floods followed by droughts are often devastating. Floods in 2000 and 2001, resulting from a combination of cyclones and torrential rain, affected around one million people. Civil war had pushed people toward the cities and coasts, causing overcrowding, disease, pollution, and desertification of abandoned farms. The Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park opened in 2002. Straddling the border with South Africa and Zimbabwe and covering 35,000 sq. km (13,500 sq. miles), it is Africa's largest reserve. Ecological concerns, however, are still low on the national agenda.

From "The Financial Times World Desk Reference" © Dorling Kindersley 2004