The African continent, producing less than 4% of global greenhouse emissions, stands as a tragic paragon of climate vulnerability, with many of its nations languishing on the frontline of catastrophic climate-induced adversities.

A recent convergence of experts in Accra, Ghana, highlighted this stark reality as they grappled with the escalating challenges to energy and food security driven by climate volatility.

The expert group meeting, held under the umbrella of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), was not just a routine gathering. It was a clarion call to address the harsh implications of climate change on economic and social development, particularly in North and West Africa.

For example, Zuzana Brixiova Schwidrowski, Director of the ECA office for North Africa, starkly noted, “In North Africa, water scarcity could affect up to 71 percent of GDP and 61 percent of the population.” This underscores the dire need for a transition to renewable resources to alleviate such challenges.

A rapid attribution study has further escalated concerns, revealing that climate change made the intense humid heat which enveloped West Africa in mid-February ten times more likely.

These extreme conditions are not an isolated occurrence but a dangerous harbinger of what the future holds if global temperatures continue to climb. With every incremental rise in global temperatures, similar events are expected to become hotter and more frequent, threatening millions with heat-related illnesses and jeopardizing livelihoods.

Yet, it’s not just about scorching temperatures. Climate change is threatening the very fabric of African societies with its multifaceted impacts. The region’s already fragile agricultural sector is imperiled, with failing crops and dying livestock leading to widespread food scarcity.

Ngone Diop, Director of the ECA office for West Africa, emphasized the urgency, stating that “Food insecurity is unfortunately a structural challenge in Africa, affecting 20% of the continent’s population.”

The situation is dire. The World Health Organization warns that by 2025, close to 230 million Africans could face water scarcity. Tropical storms, locust swarms, and severe hunger exacerbate the climate crisis.

In the Horn of Africa and Sahel Region alone, 46 million people are in the grip of extreme hunger. As these climate-induced events unroll, they may force up to 86 million Africans to migrate within their own countries by 2050, often moving from one state of poverty to another.

The climate crisis, as it unfolds across Africa, is a mosaic of extremities. Southern Africa, according to the Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL), is perilously close to multiple tipping points.

From the risk of losing the entire cattle industry in Botswana and Namibia to groundwater shortages in the Zambezi Catchment Area, the need for urgent action is unmistakable.

Despite this, affluent nations, whose carbon footprints eclipse those of African countries, fall dismally short of their climate finance pledges to support adaptation and mitigation in less wealthy regions.

This shortfall in international climate finance underscores a stark inequity at the heart of the climate crisis.African nations are making strides to address the climate emergency on their own terms, evidenced by Namibia’s push for green energy.

Still, without a global commitment to equitable climate action, these efforts risk being swamped by the tide of changing weather patterns and rising temperatures.

Relevant articles:
– 17 out of the 20 countries most threatened by climate change are in Africa, but there are still solutions to this crisis, uneca.org
– 7 Stunning Facts About How Climate Change Is Hitting Africa Hardest, Global Citizen
– Climate change made west Africa’s ‘dangerous humid heatwave’ 10 times more likely, Carbon Brief
– Southern Africa worst hit by climate change, Voice of America