| WB outlines climate change strategy for Africa | Send to a friend |
| Saturday, 11 December 2010 08:53 |
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Africa is becoming the most exposed region in the world to the impacts of climate change. In Sub-Saharan Africa extreme weather will cause dry areas to become drier and wet areas wetter; agriculture yields will suffer from crop failures; and diseases will spread to new altitudes. By 2030 it is expected that 90 million more people in Africa will be exposed to malaria, already the biggest killer in Sub-Saharan Africa. According to Mr Idah Pswarayi-Riddihough, the World Bank’s lead environmental and natural resources specialist for Africa, the environmental effects of climate change will have a direct impact on the economic development of many African countries. In 2000 alone, flooding in Mozambique cost the country an estimated $550 million and lowered the national GDP by 1.5 per cent. In agriculture, as much as nine to 20 per cent of Sub-Saharan Africa’s arable land will become much less suitable for farming by 2080. Overall, even a 2°C warming above pre-industrial temperatures could result in permanent reductions in annual per capita consumption of four to five percent for Africa. To support African countries as they deal with the challenges of climate change, the World Bank has laid out a plan of action aimed at adaptation to climate change in Africa, seizing mitigation opportunities on the continent, building knowledge and capacity, and making more financing available. Launched in 2009, Making Development Climate Resilient in Sub-Saharan Africa identifies knowledge gaps, expected impacts and key actions to be taken over time by African government and their partners. The strategy is based on the premise that increased climate variability threatens the development gains of African countries, and that these effects need to be anticipated so that development efforts can be made more resilient to climate change. The strategy calls for mainstreaming support for climate actions into countries development agendas along four pillars. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites           |
