Dec 17, 2016 many projections of the impact of climate change on the crop, livestock and fishery production sectors of african agriculture are reported in the literature. West african agriculture and climate change climate technology. The situation in west africa requires scientifically accessible, sound and easy to use methods for studying climate change impact at local levels. Sustainable development and the development of the human right to a healthy and clean environment. West africa biodiversity and climate change wabicc u. Pdf, changes in climate extremes over west and central africa at. Article pdf2mb climate change is expected to make agricultural development in africa more challenging.
We want to raise awareness about the impacts of climate change worldwide, not just with rural communities in africa. Building climate change resilience for african livestock in. Chapter 11 climate change department of environment. Climate change ipcc indicate the future trends likely to develop at the. Climate change policies in 16 west african countries. Read adaptation to climate change and variability in rural. Markets, climate change and food security in west africa. Water resources are subjected to high hydroclimatic variability over space and time, and are a key constraint on the continents continued economic development. Nor does the relief do much to interrupt the zonal patterns and latitudinal belts of climate and vegetation, except in the mountainous regions of the fouta djallon, the guinea highlands, the jos plateau, and the air mountains. The foremost of these, by the intergovernmental panel on climate change ipcc, did identify nigeria as a climate change hot spot likely to see major shifts. Since the mid1980s, the african studies cen tre asc in leiden, the netherlands, has been studying climate change in west africa in a multidisciplinary. Pdf a gisbased procedure for downscaling climate data. How could climate change impact food security in africa. Wawash coordinated with usaids resilience in the sahel enhanced rise program in burkina faso, to train farmers on best practices for climate resilient agriculture, while building the capacity of various water.
This crucial economic activity is endangered by climate change. Afdb climate change, gender and development in africa. Af 23 submitted by james adejuwon department of geography, obafemi awolowo university, ileife, nigeria 2006 published by the international start secretariat. This article seeks to address the growing requirement for climate and weather data by local applications in west africa for assessing climate variability impacts on. Interannual variability since the failing rains of the 1970s, west africa is known as a region plagued by droughts. To improve food security in west africa, sustained commitment 37 to investment in the agriculture sector will be needed to provide some protection against 38 global swings in both production and world markets. Apr 17, 20 west africa is already experiencing rising temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns and while efforts are made to adapt farming systems to the realities of todays climate this book. Cocoa migrations, climate change, and deforestation in west.
Climate change strongly impacts the agricultural sector in west africa, threatening food security and nutrition, particularly for. We explored risks today and over the next three decades and examined specific cases to understand the mechanisms through which climate change leads to increased socioeconomic risk. West african coast are expected to rise faster than the global average uemoa 2010. Climate change in africa is an increasingly serious threat for africans as africa is among the most vulnerable continents to climate change.
In past analyses of effects of climate change on the south african ecosystems e. In this context, the human threats inherent in climate change are crucial, and may be more serious for women in certain occupations and regions. Africa provides ample evidence of climate change african. Frontiers agriculture in west africa in the twentyfirst. Cocoa migrations, climate change, and deforestation in. This years 2020 global migration film festival gmff features a special selection of 14 films with a focus on west and central africa. The strategy help gauge the degree to which development initiatives at different levels of government and business integrate and reflect. Climate resilience is a key component of any healthy system, particularly in vulnerable countries that depend heavily on climate sensitive natural resources and traditional agricultural practices for subsistence and livelihoods. West africa has been identified as a climate change hotspot, with climate change likely to lessen crop yields and production, with resultant impacts on food security. We note that, for example in the sahel region, some degree of climate variation is expected over time, and it can be difficult to distinguish between this and variation caused by climate change. Anthropogenic climate change is already a reality in africa, as it is elsewhere in the world.
The region is characterized by high population growth about 3. Theoretical framework for assessing the impact of climate. Since the 2006 saeo, local and global research has advanced its understanding of the projected impacts of climate change. Adaptation to climate change includes all adjustments in behaviour or economic structure that reduce the vulnerability of society to changes in the climate system smith, ragland and pitts, 1996.
Climate change and africas future hoover institution. Vulnerability in the west african sahel is not only caused by climate variability or change. Climate change and conflict in west african cities. Changes in rainfall, weather conditions and sealevel rise will affect the salinity of coastal waters. Changes in the climate therefore have a very immediate impact. See below for examples of possible impacts in west africa. The project security implications of climate change in the sahel region, coordinated by the sahel and west africa club secretariat oecd, aimed to increase understanding on the linkages between climate change and security in the sahel and on how climate change could contribute to insecurity. The area of two rainy seasons, a long one and a shorter one, is limited to the southern portions of the coastal countries from liberia to nigeria. Climate change, fisheries and food security in west africa fishery products and food security in west africa food security depends upon a set of circumstances as noted elsewhere in the world, the west african that has political, social and economic dimensions at the fisheries sector contributes to food security in two ways. West african science service center on climate change and adapted land use wasscal is a researchfocused climate service centre designed to help tackle this challenge and thereby enhance the resilience of human and environmental systems to climate change and increased variability in west africa. Social, economic, and political factors interact with climate to cause vulnerability.
In this context, better knowledge of how climate will change in west africa and how such changes will impact crop productivity is crucial to inform policies that. Gender and climate change africa gender, climate change and food security 2 policy brief 4 agriculture is central to the livelihoods of women it is now widely acknowledged that climate change impacts will not be genderneutral. Pdf the west african climate has evolved in recent decades to respond to elevated anthropogenic greenhouse gas ghg forcing. Africa is the continent most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
Food security, climate variability and climate change in sub saharan west africa a final report submitted to assessments of impacts and adaptations to climate change aiacc, project no. The workshop was hosted by usaidwa and the economic community of west african states ecowas, in collaboration with usaids global climate. Climate variability and change are increasingly posing a threat to. Land use decision making responds to these changes in ways that further alter the land cover, from slight modifications of the quality of the land cover to outright. Africa, have been identified as being highly vulnerable to climate change lynn. Climate change in africa is an increasingly serious threat for africans as africa is among the.
This paper provides an overview of what is known and unknown about africa s climate future and examines how possible changes may challenge four critical and inter. West africa regional priorities related to food security, climate change, and sustainable resource management. From community to national and regional levels, various strategies and policies are also being taken to guide actions and investment for climate smart agriculture in west africa. Aug 30, 2016 west africa is known to be particularly vulnerable to climate change due to high climate variability, high reliance on rainfed agriculture, and limited economic and institutional capacity to respond to climate variability and change. This is evident from current experiences of extreme climatic events such as. Complex forces that drive resource degradationillegal and unsustainable logging, wildlife poaching and trafficking, poverty, population growth and weak governancethreaten the sustainability of key transboundary resources and undermine the ability of. In addition, the paper argues that even if climate change by its nature. West africa as a hotspot of climate change, with unprecedented climates expected to occur one or two decades earlier than the global average 14. Community based adaptation to climate change in africa cbaa. Western africas socioeconomic development and environment. However, they may be arguably too general to understand the magnitude of impact and to inform adaptation strategies and policy development efforts that are tailored to promoting climate smart agriculture in the west african region alone. Understanding nigerias climate future depends on better countryspecific and locallevel analysis. Predicting the impact of climate change on the cocoa growing.
Sarr, training and research department, agrhymet regional centre, niamey, niger. Solutions for a changing climate african development bank. Predicting the impact of climate change on the cocoa. This is evident from current experiences of extreme climatic events such as droughts and floods. It should be kept in mind, however, that many studies refer to the sahel, which was hit most severely. In addition, changing knowledge sheet 6 the effects of climate change on coastal erosion in west africa key climate impacts on coastal erosion rising sea levels, intensifying storm surge, and extreme precipitation are likely to accentuate. Burkina faso, cameroon, central african republic, chad, cote divoire, the gambia, ghana, guinea, liberia, mali, mauritania, niger. United nations fact sheet on climate change africa is. Climate change in ghana is impacting the people in ghana in several ways as the country sits at the intersection of three hydroclimatic zones. The effects of climate change are being felt in africa. Evolution of some observed climate extremes in the west african.
Economic brief climate change, gender and development in. The ipccs fifth assessment report indicates that africa s climate is already changing and the impacts are already been felt. However, climate projections for west africa are not sufficiently. Whether people can adapt, and for how long, depends on the resources available. The effects of climate change on coastal erosion in west. Climate variability and change affect most socioeconomic sectors in west africa. Building climate change resilience for african livestock. Adaptive capacity in the regional context 5 introduction in june 2009, unusually heavy seasonal rains began to fall in west africa. Africa is often described as the continent most at risk to the negative effects of climate change, both because of the expected change itself and because of the perceived lack of capacity of africans and their governments to adapt. A in west africa food and agriculture organization of the united.
Africas climate crisis, conflict, and migration challenges. It explicitly stresses the resilience of livestock production systems to drought and the associated potential to use livestock to adapt to climate change. Most of west africa, from the southern sahara to the humid coastal countries, has only one rainy season, which lasts from one to six months. With climate change such a reality on the african continent, awf was understandably very excited about being featured in an episode of this seasons years of living dangerously. Increasing temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns are already. Montpellier university of santarem cote divoire brazil. The study clearly dissects the various aspects of climate change and their impacts on the biological and socio economic. This is expected to negatively affect both farming and fisheries. Continuing climate change and variability are predicted to further aggravate these challenges 15. In the west african sahel, an increasing trend was observed in both maximum. Climate change refers to a change in the state of the climate that can be identified e. However, direct environmental impacts observed by those surveyed, and attributed to climate change, include.
According to the intergovernmental panel on climate change, the vulnerability of africa to climate change is driven by a range of factors that include weak. South africa s response to climate change was presented. Climate change will amplify existing stress on water availability in africa high confidence. African rural populations depend on climate sensitive agroecosystems, rainfed agriculture, and stock management but suffer from poor governance, insufficient safety nets, and poor educational progress boko. Cocoa migrations, climate change, and deforestation in west africa.
Climate change and natural resources conflicts in africa. Across west africa, much of the population relies directly on the land for survival. Screenings begin 28 november and run through 18 december international migrants day, in 15 countries of the region. Green revolution, global warming and africa the need to create a climate change. Climate variability and change have impacted, and are continuing to impact, land cover in west africa by changing the amount and. Temperature projections over west africa for the end of the 21st century from both the cmip3. In gambia for example, over 72% of the population are part of the rural economy, dependent on natural rainfall to grow food, some crops for selling, and to breed livestock. West africa coastal climate change national adaptation. West africa coastal climate change national adaptation planning workshop. Climate change and climatic variability in west africa. Because this study focuses on climate variables, we held topography constant between locations and assumed that banizoumbou, niger topography represents typical topographical conditions and housing patterns in the west africa sahel12. Climate change unlikely to increase malaria west africa. Present and future climate change in the semiarid region of west africa. Francois ruf 1 goetz schroth 2 kone doffangui 3 1 cirad 2 mars and 3 cnra.
Already experiencing temperature increases of approximately 0. Climate change adaptation in western africa climatelinks. Igracinternational the subseries on climate change and water resourcesupon the request of the united states agency for international development usaid, arcc undertook the west africa water studies to increase understanding of the potential impacts of climate change on water resources in west africa and to identify means to support adaptation to these changes. West africa is one of the worlds most vulnerable regions to climate variability and change. The national economy stands to suffer from the impacts of climate change because of its dependence on climate. Climate change and natural resources conflicts in africa faida joy is a lecturer at tumaini university, iringa university college, tanzania, where she teaches environmental law and other public law subjects.
In some scenarios, the effects of warming and changing precipitation act in opposite directions, so the overall effect of malaria transmission is unknown. Least developed countries in africa are among the most vulnerable to climate change, yet the least able to adapt. Unprecedented terrorist violence in west africa, sahel. Physical hazards and socioeconomic impact, we measured the impact of climate change by the extent to which it could affect human beings, humanmade physical assets, and the natural world. Predictions so far have relied heavily on models for the world or west africa. Africa is the region most vulnerable to the negative impacts of. Climate change impacts are already being felt and are projected to intensify across the region. Oct 03, 2011 any impact of climate change on the suitability to grow cocoa in west africa will not only affect farmers livelihoods and incomes, but the national economies as well. Food security, climate variability and climate change in. Weather patterns are becoming less favorable in many instances, increasing the volatility of crop and livestock yields.
The coastal countries of west africa are also vulnerable to sea level rise resulting from global warming, leading to flooding and coastal erosion. Climate variability and change have impacted, and are continuing to impact, land cover in west africa by changing the amount and timing of water availability to vegetation cover. Pdf on sep 1, 2008, oli brown and others published climate change. Rural livelihood, resilience, food security, climate change, finance, africa. Effects of climate change on agriculture in africa mckinsey. Water availability is a particular risk in western africa, with extreme events such as drought leading to humanitarian crises associated wi. Present and future climate change in the semiarid region of. These impacts will cut across sectors in combination with existing non climate stressors, like pollution or poorly planned development. Oct 02, 2018 the upland forests, coastal resources and wildlife that support the social, ecological and economic resilience of west africa are at risk.
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