Climate change implications for food security and natural resources management in Africa
This paper reviews the current state of knowledge on the vulnerability, impact and adaptation of African agriculture and natural resources to climate change. It presents a summary of the key issues and challenges that climate change will bring to African food security and indicates potential steps that need to be taken by African governments in order for agriculture to adapt to the climate change challenge.
The paper give some projections of climate change impact in Africa, such as the: reduction in surface area of most natural wetlands like Lake Chad, warming, drying, change in flow watercourses, sea-level rise, extreme weather events, flooding of riverbanks and increased urban risks in coastal cities and floodplains. It then assesses Africa's vulnerability in terms of (i) fragile ecosystems and food insecurity, (ii) women and children, (iii) diseases, migration and conflict; and gives evidence of the impacts already perceptible in Africa in the agricultural systems, animal husbandry and pastoralism, land degradation, and natural resources. It finally provides some adaptation and mitigation options including traditional knowledge and forestry whilst providing some guidance on best practices addressing the climate change challenge.