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Abstract

Abstract. Donor countries are providing financial and technical support for global climate change country studies to help African nations meet their reporting needs under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Technical assistance to complete vulnerability and adaptation assessments includes training of analysts, sharing of contemporary tools (e.g. simulation models), data and assessment techniques, information-sharing workshops and an international exchange programme for analysts. This chapter summarizes 14 African country studies (Botswana, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, the Gambia, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe) assessing vulnerabilities to global climate change and identifying adaptation options. The analysis revealed that the participating African countries are vulnerable to global climate change in more than one of the following socio-economic sectors: coastal resources, agriculture, grasslands and livestock, water resources, forests, wildlife, and human health. This vulnerability is exacerbated by widespread poverty, recurrent droughts, inequitable land distribution, environmental degradation, natural resource mismanagement and dependence on rain-fed agriculture. A range of practical adaptation options were identified in key socio-economic sectors of the African nations analysed. However, underdeveloped human and institutional capacity, as well as the absence of adequate infrastructure, renders many traditional coping strategies (rooted in political and economic stability) ineffective or insufficient. Future African country studies should be more closely coordinated with development of national climate change action plans

An Assessment of the Adaptability to Climate Change of Commercially Available Maize Varieties in Zimbabwe

“…The data that has been presented in this paper supports the general view that African agriculture is vulnerable to climate change (Adjei-Nsiah et al, 2001;Dinar et al, 2008;Dixon et al, 2003), and that the vulnerability is exacerbated by widespread poverty, mismanagement of natural resources and inequitable access to productive resources such as land, and (Dixon et al, 2003). A number of studies have attempted to shed light on understanding the drivers and impacts of climate change (IPCC, 2007;Smit & Wandel, 2006;Smit & Skinner, 2002;Swart et al, 2002) as well as adaptation strategies.…”

“…Of interest to this paper are studies that seem to suggest that local communities are aware of the phenomenon of climate change and are devising strategies to address the problem as reported in Ghana (Adjei-Nsiah et al, 2010) and Tanzania (Mary & Majule, 2009). Dixon et al (2003), however seem less convinced that such a capacity exists because of underdeveloped human and institutional capacity as well as absence of adequate infrastructure.…”

Vulnerability of fishery-based livelihoods to the impacts of climate variability and change: insights from coastal Bangladesh

“…These impacts may result in vulnerability of fishery-dependent livelihoods (Sarch and Allison 2000;Coulthard 2008;Iwasaki et al 2009;Perry et al 2009). Small-scale fishing communities are considered especially vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate variability and change (Downing et al 1997;Dixon et al 2003;IPCC 2007).…”

Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation in Rainfed Farming Systems: A Modeling Framework for Scaling-Out Climate Smart Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa

“…Expected impacts include shortened or disrupted growing seasons, reductions in the area suitable for agriculture, and declines in agricultural yields in many regions of sub-Saharan Africa [9] [14]. Several studies have already revealed that a combination of increased rainfall variability and increasing ambient air temperatures will cause a significant decline in yields of major staple crops, particularly for maize [15].…”