KAMPALA – Climate change is a global phenomenon that affects every region and country in the world. However, some regions and countries are more vulnerable and exposed to the impacts of climate change than others. Africa is one of these regions, as it faces multiple and interrelated challenges such as poverty, inequality, conflict, food insecurity, water scarcity, desertification, biodiversity loss, and health risks. Climate change exacerbates these challenges, by altering the patterns and intensity of rainfall, temperature, and seasons, and by increasing the frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, heat waves, and storms. Climate change threatens the livelihoods, well-being, and development of millions of Africans, especially those who depend on natural resources and ecosystems for their survival.
To respond to climate change, there are two main policy options: mitigation and adaptation. Mitigation refers to reducing the sources or enhancing the sinks of greenhouse gases, in order to limit the amount of warming and avoid the most dangerous consequences. Adaptation refers to adjusting to the actual or expected effects of climate change, in order to reduce the risks and take advantage of any opportunities. Both mitigation and adaptation are necessary and complementary strategies, as neither can alone prevent all the impacts of climate change.
Adaptation can take many forms, depending on the context and the sector. For example, adaptation can involve building sea walls to protect coastal areas from flooding, developing drought-resistant crops to ensure food production, improving early warning systems to prepare for disasters, or relocating people from vulnerable locations to safer places. Adaptation can also involve enhancing individuals, communities, and institutions’ adaptive capacity by increasing their knowledge, skills, resources, and networks.
Adaptation is vital for several reasons. First, adaptation can reduce the human and economic costs of climate change, by preventing or minimizing the damages and losses that would otherwise occur. Second, adaptation can increase the resilience of people and systems, by enabling them to cope with and recover from the shocks and stresses of climate change. Third, adaptation can create co-benefits, by improving the quality of life and well-being of people, as well as contributing to other social and environmental goals.
However, adaptation also faces many challenges and barriers, such as lack of awareness, information, finance, technology, and coordination. Moreover, adaptation is not always effective or sufficient, as there are limits to how much people and systems can adapt to certain levels of climate change. Therefore, adaptation needs to be supported by adequate mitigation actions, as well as by international cooperation and solidarity, especially for the most vulnerable and least developed countries and communities.
One of the most visible and devastating impacts of climate change in Africa is the increase in droughts, which affect the availability and quality of water resources and the productivity and security of food systems. According to the IPCC, Africa is projected to experience a decrease in annual precipitation, especially in the Sahel and Southern Africa regions, and an increase in the frequency and intensity of droughts. Droughts can have severe consequences for human health, livelihoods, and ecosystems, such as malnutrition, disease, poverty, displacement, conflict, land degradation, and biodiversity loss.
To adapt to droughts, African countries can implement various measures, such as:
- Improving water management and conservation: This can involve developing and maintaining water infrastructure, such as dams, reservoirs, irrigation systems, rainwater harvesting, and water treatment plants, to increase the storage and distribution of water. It can also involve promoting water-efficient technologies and practices, such as drip irrigation, water recycling, and water metering, to reduce the demand and wastage of water. Moreover, it can involve enhancing the governance and regulation of water resources, such as establishing water rights, tariffs, and quotas, to ensure the equitable and sustainable allocation and use of water.
- Developing drought-resistant crops and livestock: This can involve using and improving traditional and modern methods of crop and livestock breeding, such as genetic modification, hybridization, and selection, to create varieties that can tolerate drought and other stresses, such as pests, diseases, and salinity. It can also involve diversifying the types and sources of crops and livestock, such as using indigenous and underutilized species, to increase the resilience and productivity of food systems. Moreover, it can involve adopting and disseminating improved agricultural practices, such as conservation agriculture, agroforestry, and integrated pest management, to enhance the soil quality and fertility, and reduce the dependence on external inputs, such as fertilizers and pesticides.
- Strengthening early warning and response systems: This can involve developing and deploying climate information and services, such as weather forecasts, drought indices, and crop yield models, to monitor and predict the onset, duration, and severity of droughts. It can also involve establishing and activating contingency plans, such as emergency funds, food reserves, and humanitarian assistance, to provide timely and adequate relief and recovery to the affected populations and sectors. Moreover, it can involve enhancing the coordination and communication among different stakeholders, such as governments, communities, and donors, to ensure the effective and efficient delivery and utilization of climate information and services.
A case study of drought adaptation in Africa is the Great Green Wall initiative, which aims to restore and transform degraded lands across the Sahel region, by creating a mosaic of green and productive landscapes, spanning 11 countries and 8,000 km. The initiative was launched in 2007 by the African Union, with the support of various partners, such as the UN, the World Bank, and the EU. The initiative seeks to address the multiple challenges of drought, desertification, poverty, and conflict, by providing multiple benefits, such as:
- Enhancing food security and income: The initiative supports the development of sustainable and diversified agriculture, by restoring soil fertility, improving water availability, and increasing crop and livestock production. The initiative also creates new opportunities for income generation, by promoting value-added activities, such as processing, marketing, and trade, of agricultural and forest products.
- Increasing resilience and adaptation: The initiative reduces the vulnerability and exposure of people and systems to drought and other climate shocks, by improving the natural and social capital, such as vegetation cover, biodiversity, and community cohesion. The initiative also enhances the adaptive capacity of people and systems, by providing access to climate information and services, and facilitating the exchange of knowledge and best practices.
- Creating co-benefits and synergies: The initiative contributes to other social and environmental goals, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving biodiversity, empowering women and youth, and preventing conflict. The initiative also leverages and aligns with other regional and global frameworks and initiatives, such as the African Agenda 2063, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Paris Agreement.
The Great Green Wall initiative is an example of a large-scale and long-term adaptation initiative that involves multiple stakeholders and sectors and provides multiple benefits and co-benefits. However, the initiative also faces many challenges and barriers, such as lack of funding, coordination, and monitoring, as well as political and social instability, and competing land uses. Therefore, the initiative needs to be supported by adequate resources, policies, and institutions, as well as by international cooperation and solidarity, to ensure its sustainability and scalability.
Another impact of climate change in Africa is the increase in floods, which affect the safety and quality of human settlements and infrastructure, as well as the health and well-being of people. According to the IPCC, Africa is projected to experience an increase in the intensity and variability of rainfall, especially in Eastern and Central Africa regions, and an increase in the frequency and magnitude of floods. Floods can have severe consequences for human lives, livelihoods, and assets, such as deaths, injuries, diseases, displacement, damage, and disruption.
To adapt to floods, African countries can implement various measures, such as:
- Building flood protection and drainage infrastructure: This can involve constructing and maintaining physical barriers, such as sea walls, levees, and dams, to prevent or reduce the inundation of coastal and inland areas by floodwaters. It can also involve developing and improving drainage systems, such as canals, culverts, and sewers, to facilitate the removal and disposal of excess water. Moreover, it can involve enhancing the design and standards of buildings and roads, such as elevating and reinforcing foundations, roofs, and bridges, to increase their resistance and durability to flood damage.
- Restoring and conserving natural ecosystems: This can involve protecting and restoring natural ecosystems and habitats, such as wetlands, mangroves, and forests, that provide valuable ecosystem services and biodiversity. These ecosystems can act as natural buffers and sinks, by absorbing and storing water, reducing runoff and erosion, and moderating the flow and level of water. Moreover, these ecosystems can provide alternative sources of livelihoods and income, such as fishing, hunting, and ecotourism, as well as other co-benefits, such as carbon sequestration, water purification, and habitat provision.
- Strengthening early warning and response systems: This can involve developing and deploying climate information and services, such as rainfall forecasts, flood maps, and risk assessments, to monitor and predict the occurrence, extent, and severity of floods. It can also involve establishing and activating contingency plans, such as emergency funds, shelters, and humanitarian assistance, to provide timely and adequate relief and recovery to the affected populations and sectors. Moreover, it can involve enhancing the coordination and communication among different stakeholders, such as governments, communities, and donors
Droughts and floods are not the only hazards that climate change poses to Africa. Other hazards include storms, heat waves, sea level rise, and vector-borne diseases. These hazards can also have negative impacts on water resources, food systems, human health, and ecosystems. Therefore, African countries need to adopt a holistic and integrated approach to adaptation, that considers the multiple and interrelated risks and opportunities of climate change, and that involves the participation and empowerment of all stakeholders, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized groups.
In conclusion, climate change is a serious and urgent challenge for Africa, as it threatens the development and well-being of millions of people and the sustainability of natural resources and ecosystems. Adaptation is a necessary and complementary strategy to mitigation, as it can reduce the costs and risks of climate change, increase the resilience of people and systems, and create co-benefits for other social and environmental goals. However, adaptation also faces many challenges and barriers and has limits to its effectiveness and sufficiency. Therefore, adaptation needs to be supported by adequate mitigation actions, as well as by international cooperation and solidarity, especially for the most vulnerable and least developed countries and communities.
The writer, Wejuli Junior Mike is a Research Assistant, Makerere University School of Public Health
