Climate Change In Africa

Background

Human existence is heavily dependent on nature itself as well the availability of natural resources like water, fossil fuels and other precious minerals. As a matter of consequence, human interaction with the natural environment results in some undesirable phenomena such as pollution and depletion of natural resources. These phenomena could only become worse as global population increased and human interaction with the natural environment became more vigorous. The problems associated with civilization and industrialization evolved from usage and management of natural resources to controlling the effects of the by-products on nature such as the emission of Green House Gases which affect the global climate.

As these problems arose

According to the November 2010 Edition of the Institute for Security Studies Paper 220 “The Impact of Climate Change in Africa”, Climate change has been identified as the leading Human and Environmental crisis of the 21st century. The rise in global temperatures has caused loss of Arctic Ice, Irregular rainfall patterns, droughts, floods, and so on. The World Banks’ “Turn Down the Heat” Report indicates that all countries will be affected by warmer temperatures but it is the world’s poorest, in developing countries, who will be most affected by this phenomenon as they are most vulnerable to droughts, erratic weather and food shortages. In Africa, the ripple effects of climate change can be felt in many aspects of people’s everyday lives. The major areas affected by climate change are Agriculture, Health and

In 2011, a severe drought hit Eastern Africa affecting countries like Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti. The drought was described as “The Worst Drought in 60 Years” by the BBC and other International News Reporting Agencies. Erratic rainfall patterns resulted in limited rainfall causing widespread crop loss and loss of livestock. There is growing evidence that this drought was caused by Global Warming and Climate Change although many critics consider it too soon to blame the drought on climate change. Climate Change induced droughts in Africa is a matter of concern because most farmers in Africa do not employ modern methods of farming and are also heavily reliant on rainfall for their crops and livestock. Many can lose their livelihoods and food supply can be gravely affected across the