Climate Change and Africa

Climate change is a major threat to sustainable growth and development in Africa, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate change because of its overdependence on rain-fed agriculture, compounded by factors such as widespread poverty and weak capacity. The main longer-term impacts include: changing rainfall patterns affecting agriculture and reducing food security; worsening water security; decreasing fish resources in large lakes due to rising temperature; shifting vectorborne diseases; rising sea level affecting low-lying coastal areas with large populations; and rising water stress.