i THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS (MDGs) AND NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL POLICY REFORM: REALISING THE RIGHT TO

towards this research is hereby acknowledged. Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at, are those of the author and are not necessarily to be attributed to the DST. ii Africa is a continent characterised by deepening environmental degradation and increasing loss of natural resources. This has had an adverse effect on human health and well-being in the region. Environmental degradation has also made it impossible for average Africans to enjoy the human right to environment guaranteed under the continent-wide African Charter, and the constitutions and laws of most African nations. Several factors are responsible for perpetuating this state of affairs, namely poverty, lack of political will to enforce or adopt environmental regulations, and weak institutional capacity. An opportunity to reverse this trend has been offered by the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by all United Nations member States in 2000. The MDGs are eight developmental goals with time-boun