The impact of climate change in Africa

Concerned with the fact that African nations are among the lightest polluters, yet analysts say they will suffer the most from climate change

This paper is concerned with the fact that African nations are among the lightest polluters, yet analysts say they will suffer the most from climate change in their pursuit of water and food security, sustainable development, and political and economic sustainability. Therefore the paper reviews the relationships among climate change, water and food security, conflicts, and development. It also argues that there is a need for climate change information in Africa and reviews the status of international climate agreements related to adaptation, mitigation and compensation. In addition, the paper argues that even if climate change by its nature may not necessarily lead to violent interstate  conflicts, scarcity of water and food in Africa has already nurtured political tensions among nations, thus retarding efforts towards sustainable development.

About the Author

Dr Debay Tadesse is a historian and Senior Researcher at the Institute for Security Studies in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He received his BA in History from Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, and his MA in African History and PhD in African Studies, specialising in Public Policy and Development in Africa, from Howard University in Washington DC. His work is aimed at understanding how environmental, economic and political change impact on the peoples of Africa and how policy reform can bring real change to their lives.