The 2012 Environmental Performance Index that was published by Yale University in the US has named Gabon as the best environmentally sustainable nation in Africa.

A source from the Gabonese environment ministry said on Saturday in Libreville that the country had been placed at position 40 in the world in the said environmental performance index.

According to the source, the environmental index is measured based on 22 indicators which take into account how environmentally sustainable a nation is, the endowment of natural resources, the level of past and present pollution, the environmental management efforts and the protection of world heritage sites.

Gabon performed much better compared to other Congo basin nations which include Cameroon that was ranked position 112, the Republic of Congo (95), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo, 92), Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic (132).

However, Gabon did not score good points in the column for environmental health. The country was ranked position 82 in the world with 59.5 out of 100 points regarding effects of air on human health. It was position 116 with 32.7 points in terms of treating environmental diseases and was position 106 with 24.2 points in terms of effect of water on human health.

The new performance index shows that organizations for protection of the environment have embraced well the measures taken by the Gabonese government in the environmental sector.

These measures include the ban of exportation of undressed timber and the efforts taken by the government to create 13 national parks.