Africa will be the Most Vulnerable to Climate Change
Thesis Statement: “Africa Will Be the Most Vulnerable to Climate Change”
The people of Africa rely heavily on agriculture and wildlife to survive. With widespread poverty, any type of change in climate has the potential to be devastating, and cause malnutrition in children and adults. Climate change can already be seen in severe droughts in the Horn of Africa, and agricultural losses of up to 22 percent of maize, wheat, and rice. For these reasons, Africa will surely be one of the most vulnerable continents to climate change. The people of Africa rely mostly on agriculture to sustain life. Agricultural losses can be devastating to communities. Kenya will have significant areas where cropping may no longer be possible due to changes in climate. The role of livestock as a livelihood option has increased. There is widespread poverty in most regions of Africa. Lower food accessibility and increased commodity prices will likely result in malnutrition, especially in young children. Climate change is likely to increase the number of malnourished children in the coming decades by 11 percent. Africa has been known for natural disasters, but with climate change the droughts are projected to get worse. Droughts that once occurred every five years are now occurring once every two to three years. Livestock herd sizes have decreased, and increased mortality in the herd have compromised the livelihood of the pastoralists. Small changes in climate have big effects on the people of Africa. Most of the impacts of climate change in Africa will materialize through extreme events such as drought and floods, but any of these reasons mentioned have the potential to result in severe human suffering. Climate change will hamper economic development and efforts at poverty reduction in a continent that has already seen its fair share of suffering. This is why I believe Africa will be the most vulnerable to
The people of Africa rely heavily on agriculture and wildlife to survive. With widespread poverty, any type of change in climate has the potential to be devastating, and cause malnutrition in children and adults. Climate change can already be seen in severe droughts in the Horn of Africa, and agricultural losses of up to 22 percent of maize, wheat, and rice. For these reasons, Africa will surely be one of the most vulnerable continents to climate change. The people of Africa rely mostly on agriculture to sustain life. Agricultural losses can be devastating to communities. Kenya will have significant areas where cropping may no longer be possible due to changes in climate. The role of livestock as a livelihood option has increased. There is widespread poverty in most regions of Africa. Lower food accessibility and increased commodity prices will likely result in malnutrition, especially in young children. Climate change is likely to increase the number of malnourished children in the coming decades by 11 percent. Africa has been known for natural disasters, but with climate change the droughts are projected to get worse. Droughts that once occurred every five years are now occurring once every two to three years. Livestock herd sizes have decreased, and increased mortality in the herd have compromised the livelihood of the pastoralists. Small changes in climate have big effects on the people of Africa. Most of the impacts of climate change in Africa will materialize through extreme events such as drought and floods, but any of these reasons mentioned have the potential to result in severe human suffering. Climate change will hamper economic development and efforts at poverty reduction in a continent that has already seen its fair share of suffering. This is why I believe Africa will be the most vulnerable to