The impact of climate change in Africa

The document argues that Africa is disproportionately vulnerable to climate change despite being among the lightest polluters. It highlights critical threats to water and food security, the potential for climate change to act as a 'threat multiplier' for conflict, and the urgent need for improved climate information and financial compensation from developed nations for adaptation.

• Africa faces significant climate risks including higher temperatures, rising sea levels, and changing rainfall patterns, which threaten ecosystems and species.
• Water resources are highly vulnerable, with projections suggesting a 20–30% decrease in water availability in vulnerable areas under a low-warming scenario and a 30–50% decline in Southern Africa under a mid-warming scenario.
• Climate change threatens all four dimensions of food security: availability, accessibility, utilisation, and system stability, with the potential to push another 600 million people into malnutrition by 2080.
• Land degradation, driven by poverty and population pressure, is a major impediment to food security and increases vulnerability to weather extremes.
• Climate change acts as a 'threat multiplier' that can exacerbate existing political tensions, territorial disputes, and competition for scarce resources, potentially leading to forced migration.
• The African Union (AU) has established a common negotiating position for global talks and seeks compensation from developed nations based on the 'polluter pays' principle.
• Adaptation requires significant financial resources, with the UNFCCC estimating that African countries will need US$ 220 million per year by 2030.

APA

Tadesse, D. (2010). The impact of climate change in Africa. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper220.pdf

Chicago

Tadesse, Debay. The impact of climate change in Africa. Institute for Security Studies, 2010. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper220.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tadesse |first1=Debay |title=The impact of climate change in Africa |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=November 2010 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper220.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tadesse2010impact, author = {Tadesse, Debay}, title = {{The impact of climate change in Africa}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2010}, month = nov, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper220.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }