Where We Work
Where We Work
Climate
Climate Change in Africa and its impacts on health, environment, and education.
Although the current climate crisis threatens the lives of people around the world, the continent of Africa is among the most vulnerable. According to the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Africa is projected to disproportionately experience the brunt of climate change related symptoms in terms of frequency and intensity. Since the late 19th century, surface temperatures over the continent have been observed to increase by 0.5 °C, and compared to levels from 20 years ago, average precipitation within the region has dramatically declined by more than 20 percent. The impacts due to rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and increasing climate variability will severely obstruct the lives and sustainable development prospects in the continent. The vulnerability of Africa to climate change can be attributed to various factors such as high dependence on ecosystems and natural resources for livelihoods, weak adaptive capacity, and stagnant agricultural production. Despite the fact that Africa is the least responsible for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, it is undoubtedly one of the least prepared regions and will require the most help in adapting.
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Environmentally speaking, climate change is expected to have a huge impact on Africa's agriculture and water resource. Both the quality and quantity of the continent's water resources have come under scrutiny due to observable climate change effects such as flooding, drought, receding bodies of water, melting of glaciers, and change in rainfall distribution. According to the IPCC, between 75-250 million people will be experience water stress in the next 10 years, and as many as 1.8 billion by the end of this century. In addition, arid and semi-arid lands across the continent are predicted to increase by up to 8%, and Africa currently has the highest mortality rate from droughts compared to the rest of the world due to the doubling of water-related disasters over the last 25 years. Many people, especially those residing in remote areas, depend on local bodies of water for food, water, and transport. As lakes and rivers continue to dry up, the overall well-being of citizens will continue to suffer.
Assessment of Physical Water Scarcity in Africa Using GRACE and TRMM Satellite Data. PAWS is a newly introduced indicator that stands for Potential Available Water Storage (PAWS).
Unlike in many western countries which utilize irrigation, agriculture in Africa is mainly conducted through small-scale rain-fed farming. Because agriculture is inherently sensitive to climate conditions, recent droughts in many African countries have gravely hindered one of the continent's main economic sectors. By 2020, rain-dependent agriculture could decrease by 50% in some African countries, and this will consequently have a negative influence on land use, food security, and food prices. In addition to extreme and unpredictable weather, temperature fluctuations and moisture conditions can yield to an influx of crop diseases and pests.