Impact of Climate Change, one of Africa’s Biggest Issue.

Climate change has been identified as a leading human and environmental crisis of the 21st century.

The problem of understanding climate change, or global warming, is one of the major challenges confronting African people, their governments and the African Union (AU).

A broad scientific and political consensus has been established that climate change poses a considerable threat to Africa, its ecosystems and many of its species. The science has become more irrevocable than ever: climate change is happening.

The evidence is all around us. And unless we act, we will see catastrophic consequences including rising sea-levels, droughts and famine, and the loss of up to a third of the world’s plant and animal species.

Concern over the negative impact of climate change has strengthened fears that environmental degradation and demographic pressures will displace millions of people in Africa and create serious social upheaval.

The actual and potential impacts of climate change in Africa are large and wide ranging, affecting many aspects of people’s everyday lives. Many climate models predict negative impacts of climate change on agricultural production and food security in large parts of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Higher temperatures, the drying up of soils, increased pest and disease pressure, shifts in suitable areas for growing crops and livestock, increased desertification in the Sahara region, floods, deforestation, and erosion are all signs that climate change is already happening and represents one of the greatest environmental, social and economic threats facing Africa.

The impact of climate change will fall disproportionate on the world’s poorest countries, many of them here in Africa. Poor people already live on the front lines of pollution, disaster, and degradation of resources and land. For them, adaptation is a matter of sheer survival.

Unfortunately, despite growing concern, no exact and reliable figures are available to quantify the economic costs of the negative impacts of climate change in Africa for either individuals or society as a whole.

As far as development is concerned, climate change will have a strong impact on Africa’s ability to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and on its development policies in general, with increased pressure on agriculture, water supply and demand, health, and political stability.

Any attempt to understand the impacts of climate change on Africa is fraught with difficulties. While some of the impacts are known and relatively well understood, there is still great uncertainty about the key climate processes and their consequences.

Climate change is already having substantial impacts on Africa. Successfully adapting to these impacts is crucial to achieving the continent’s development objectives.