Climate Change Implications for SA’s Youth

The report warns that South Africa is on a 'worst-case' climate trajectory (RCP 8.5), which will lead to extreme heat, water scarcity, and food insecurity, disproportionately harming youth. It details regional collapses in agriculture and tourism, the expansion of informal settlements due to climate-induced migration, and the severe mental health trauma facing children. The author argues that without a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels, large parts of the country may become uninhabitable, leading to systemic social conflict and economic collapse.

• South Africa is currently on a 'worst-case' trajectory, specifically Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5, which predicts a global surface temperature increase of 3-4°C+ above the 20th century average by mid-century.
• Climate change will cause severe physical and ecological disruptions in South Africa, including more frequent heat extremes, extended droughts, increased fire risk, and more intense extreme rainfall events that may exceed historical infrastructure design specifications.
• Water scarcity and food insecurity will disproportionately affect children and women; girls may miss schooling due to increased time spent fetching water, and children are likely to suffer most from hunger and malnutrition.
• Coastal regions face significant threats from sea-level rise and ocean acidification, which will likely lead to the collapse of marine-based tourism and the necessity of 'managed retreats' from the coastline as properties become uninsurable.
• Climate-induced migration and the breakdown of social ties are expected to cause massive emotional trauma, depression, and hopelessness, particularly among youth, while expanding informal settlements may increase xenophobic violence.
• Regional analysis suggests that by 2041-2060, the Western Cape's agricultural and tourism sectors may be devastated, while the interior (Limpopo/Lephalale) could see the total collapse of rain-fed agriculture and commercial enterprises.
• In Mpumalanga, the transition away from coal without proactive 'just transition' planning, combined with climate stress and tropical cyclones, is predicted to cause unprecedented job losses and social upheaval.
• The report concludes that current systems are extremely vulnerable and that avoiding profound negative impacts on future generations requires an immediate transformational change in energy policy, including the cessation of fossil fuel use.

APA

King, N. (2021). Climate Change Implications for SA’s Youth. Centre for Environmental Rights. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Annexure-A-Nick-King-Report-Final.pdf?x21779

Chicago

King, Nicholas. Climate Change Implications for SA’s Youth. Centre for Environmental Rights, 2021. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Annexure-A-Nick-King-Report-Final.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=King |first1=Nicholas |title=Climate Change Implications for SA’s Youth |publisher=Centre for Environmental Rights |date=26 August 2021 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Annexure-A-Nick-King-Report-Final.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{king2021climate, author = {King, Nicholas}, title = {{Climate Change Implications for SA’s Youth}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2021}, month = aug, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Annexure-A-Nick-King-Report-Final.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }