The Impact of Climate Change on Africa

The report details the disproportionate burden of climate change on Africa, noting that since 1984, the continent has faced 1,865 climate-related disasters resulting in US$53 billion in losses. It highlights a critical lack of financial protection, with only 9% of disaster losses insured. Regional analysis shows water-related disasters as the primary threat, with severe flooding in East Africa and historic droughts in Southern Africa and the Horn of Africa. The document also links climate change to the spread of diseases like cholera and malaria, and the risk of desertification in the Sahel and West Africa.

• Africa suffers a disproportionate burden of climate impacts despite contributing little to the crisis, with 1,865 climate-related disasters since 1984 causing US$53 billion in direct financial losses and affecting approximately 702 million people.
• Water-related disasters are the most significant climate threat to the continent, accounting for 82% of all climate-related incidents. This includes severe cyclones in South-east Africa, such as Cyclone Freddy in 2023, and devastating floods in South Africa's KwaZulu province in 2022.
• The continent's vulnerability is compounded by systemic issues, including absolute poverty affecting nearly 30% of the population, fragile governance, and a severe lack of insurance, with only 9% of direct climate-related disaster losses insured over the last four decades.
• Climate change is altering the landscape of health in Africa, increasing the prevalence of infectious diseases such as malaria and dengue, and triggering outbreaks of water-borne diseases like cholera in Malawi and South Africa in early 2023.
• Specific regional crises include the Horn of Africa, where conflict and drought led to 12.15 million internally displaced persons and 60 million food insecure people in 2023, and the Sahel and West Africa, which face significant risks of desertification.

APA

le Roux, A., & Cilliers, J. (2026). The Impact of Climate Change on Africa. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=14-climate-change&topic=02-impact

Chicago

le Roux, Alize, and Jakkie Cilliers. The Impact of Climate Change on Africa. Institute for Security Studies, 2026. https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=14-climate-change&topic=02-impact.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=le Roux |first1=Alize |last2=Cilliers |first2=Jakkie |title=The Impact of Climate Change on Africa |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=29 March 2026 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=14-climate-change&topic=02-impact |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{leroux2026impact, author = {le Roux, Alize and Cilliers, Jakkie}, title = {{The Impact of Climate Change on Africa}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = mar, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=14-climate-change&topic=02-impact}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }