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Comoros

Comoros’ population quadrupled between 1950 and 2000. On Anjouan Island, where population density is 446 people per square kilometre, agricultural land is in short supply and many areas of steep terrain not suitable for agriculture have nevertheless been cultivated. Traditional agriculture leaves many trees in the fields, which help control soil erosion. However, pressure for food production is leading to more open field agriculture and some monoculture farming on the island of Anjouan. These more intense methods of agriculture encourage soil erosion. The top image above shows Anjouan’s fragmented forest. The reddish yellow areas on the simulated 3-D images show agricultural lands on Anjouan’s slopes. As a whole, Comoros lost about 60 per cent of its forest cover between 1950 and 1985. View detailed information