How can Africa manage the transboundary climate risks?

The document defines transboundary climate risks (TCRs) as risks generated by climate change impacts or mitigation and adaptation actions in one country that cascade to neighbors or wider regions. It identifies five key TCR categories: biophysical, financial, trade, people-centred, and geopolitical. The brief warns that these risks can undermine economic development, food security, and infrastructure investments, specifically highlighting vulnerabilities in hydropower and food import dependencies. It recommends coordinated management through African regional economic communities and the African Union.

• Transboundary climate risks (TCRs) are categorized into five significant types requiring urgent management in Africa: biophysical (shared natural resources and livestock disease), financial (foreign direct investment in infrastructure), trade (climate-sensitive goods like rice), people-centred (displacement and transhumance), and geopolitical (multi-country efforts such as the Great Green Wall).
• TCRs threaten Africa's economic stability by potentially reversing development gains, jeopardizing trade and food security, and risking infrastructure investments. Specifically, non-resilient infrastructure can lead to debt issues and regional economic losses due to disrupted connectivity, while climate-driven water supply issues, such as prolonged drought, can disrupt hydropower generation and trigger cross-border risks.
• Food security in Africa is facing new transboundary climate risks driven by growing populations and shifting diets, which are increasing the continent's dependence on food imports.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2023). How can Africa manage the transboundary climate risks? https://www.sei.org/publications/how-can-africa-manage-the-transboundary-climate-risks/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. How can Africa manage the transboundary climate risks? 2023. https://www.sei.org/publications/how-can-africa-manage-the-transboundary-climate-risks/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=How can Africa manage the transboundary climate risks? |date=22 August 2023 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/how-can-africa-manage-the-transboundary-climate-risks/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2023how, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{How can Africa manage the transboundary climate risks?}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2023}, month = aug, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/how-can-africa-manage-the-transboundary-climate-risks/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }