Africa is likely to face increasing poverty, environmental decline and ill-health unless urgent action is taken to ensure that development takes environmental impacts into account, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)has warned. Soaring pollution levels, land degradation, droughts and wildlife losses are among the threats to the continent outlined in the UNEP report Africa Environment Outlook (AEO). In addition, climate change and the uncontrolled expansion of cities will have an increasing impact over the next three decades.