Rapport spécial du GIEC sur les océans et la cryosphère dans le contexte du changement climatique Quels impacts pour l’Afrique ?

This guide, prepared by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), Overseas Development Institute (ODI), and SouthSouthNorth (SSN), translates the findings of the 2019 IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate specifically for African policymakers. It details how human-induced climate change is altering ocean chemistry and temperature, accelerating sea-level rise, and melting high-mountain glaciers, all of which threaten marine biodiversity, food security, and coastal infrastructure across the African continent.

• Human activity is causing significant changes to the global oceans, including a temperature increase of 1°C above pre-industrial levels and an increase in acidity due to the absorption of 20% to 30% of human-produced carbon dioxide emissions since the 1980s. Marine heatwaves have doubled in frequency since 1982 and are increasing in intensity.
• Ocean warming and acidification are destroying coral reefs and threatening other fragile ecosystems like seagrass meadows and kelp forests. Even at 1.5°C of warming, the composition and diversity of shallow coral reefs are likely to change, reducing their role in coastal protection, tourism, and the food industry.
• Climate change is altering fish stocks and distributions, which may increase the risk of malnutrition and food insecurity in West African coastal areas where fish is a primary nutritional resource. In high-emission scenarios, the west Indian Ocean and center-east Atlantic are particularly threatened by the end of the 21st century.
• The Canary and Benguela currents, which provide nutrient-rich waters to the coasts of Northwest Africa (from the Canary Islands to Senegal) and Southwest Africa (Angola, Namibia, and South Africa), are expected to see their ecosystem benefits compromised by the second half of the century.
• Global sea levels are currently rising at a rate of 3.6 mm per year, more than twice the rate of the 20th century. By 2100, the sea level could rise by 29–59 cm under low-emission scenarios, or between 61 and 110 cm under high-emission scenarios.
• In East Africa, the cryosphere is melting, specifically affecting Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya. This leads to irreversible changes in river runoff, potentially impacting agriculture and hydroelectric power, and increasing the risk of natural hazards like landslides.
• Coastal protection strategies include 'hard' infrastructure (dikes, sea walls), 'soft' sediment-based protection (beach nourishment), and ecosystem-based adaptation (restoring mangroves and coral reefs). Hybrid measures combining these approaches are often used.
• Blue carbon ecosystems, such as mangroves, marshes, and seagrasses, provide a dual benefit by sequestering carbon to mitigate climate change while providing local adaptation benefits like storm protection and improved water quality.
• Effective climate adaptation requires integrated governance that coordinates across administrative borders and scales, combining disaster risk management with climate adaptation and the empowerment of vulnerable groups.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2020). Rapport spécial du GIEC sur les océans et la cryosphère dans le contexte du changement climatique Quels impacts pour l’Afrique ? https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/IPCC-Oceans-Africa-French_WEB_23June2020-1.pdf

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. Rapport spécial du GIEC sur les océans et la cryosphère dans le contexte du changement climatique Quels impacts pour l’Afrique ? 2020. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/IPCC-Oceans-Africa-French_WEB_23June2020-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=Rapport spécial du GIEC sur les océans et la cryosphère dans le contexte du changement climatique Quels impacts pour l’Afrique ? |date=2020 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/IPCC-Oceans-Africa-French_WEB_23June2020-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2020rapport, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{Rapport spécial du GIEC sur les océans et la cryosphère dans le contexte du changement climatique Quels impacts pour l’Afrique ?}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2020}, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/IPCC-Oceans-Africa-French_WEB_23June2020-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }