Climate Change In Sub-Saharan Africa

The issue of climate change has become a common challenge for both developed and developing countries. Climate change has a visible challenge on the lives and livelihood strategy of developing nations. It has been is one of humanity’s greatest challenges and it is believed that within the next fifty (50) years, global warming will increase to the detriment of the world’s population. It is a serious threat has the potential to cripple sustainable development by adversely impacting the environment, human health, ecosystem and diversity, food production and security, and economic activity (Abafura, 2011)

Climate change refers to the average temperatures and precipitation rates over an extended period of time. It includes shifts in the frequency

According to African Development Bank (2002), increase in droughts, floods and other extreme events would add to stress on water resources, food security, human health and infrastructure and constrain development on the African continent as a result of climate change and variability. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa are likely to be the worst hits of the devastating impacts of climate change due to their geographical location, low incomes, low technological and institutional capacity to adapt to rapid changes in the environment, as well as their greater reliance on climate-sensitive renewable natural resources sectors such as water and agriculture. Also factors such as desertification, water stress, prevalence climate related diseases, reliance on rain-fed agriculture as well as rapid population growth make African societies more vulnerable to the consequences of climate change (IPCC, 2001). The effects are therefore likely to vary among different populations hence its impact on livelihood is critical for the survival populations whose vulnerability can be exacerbated by existing social inequalities. Women and men are expected to experience the impact of climate change differently due to existing gender inequalities in access and control of resources and decision-making (Brody, Demetriades &

As cited in Kankam-Yeboah, Amisigo and Obuobi (2010), a research by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) showed that, there is: 1°C increase in temperature over a 30-year period from the historical records, increased evaporation, decreased and highly variable rainfall pattern, and frequent and pronounced drought spells. Again, average annual temperatures have been rising steadily in 5 of the 6 agro-ecological zones of Ghana (source). There are also evidence of drying of some rivers in the dry season which were hitherto perennial rivers, more intensive rainfall which results in flooding, the recent event being June 3 2015 which claimed over 150 lives and destroyed millions of properties, frequent events of drought which largely affects the water levels of the Akosombo