The consequences of global warming on Africa are worse than on the Arctic. Africa is already among the poorest continents in the world. Out of 55 countries, two-thirds of these countries are among the poorest 50 countries in 2007. Many African countries already have outstanding debt which needs to be cleared so that the countries can come out of poverty. Africa’s average income per capita was $0.72. Also, 34% of the population aged 15-24 is illiterate. This shows that further drawbacks due to the impacts from global warming would be critical.
As scarcity increases, the dependence on poor quality sources also increases. This leads to increased water-borne diseases such as cholera. Consequently, this puts increased pressure on health care systems which then decrease government budgets. Global warming affects Africa worse because Africa is a continent which desperately needs money to clear debt and for development.
The impact of global warming on Africa is more physical and human. Africa contains about 20% of all known species of plants, mammals and birds, as well as 17% of amphibians and reptiles. There is much more at risk compared to the effects of global warming on the Arctic. As global warming increases, fragile habitats may not survive and between 20-50% of species in Africa could face extinction.
On the other hand, the impacts of global warming on the Arctic are much less serious. For example, due to global warming, ice caps melt and the ice bergs impose a potential threat to the ships that cross the Atlantic and Pacific ocean. When comparing this to a potential impact in Africa such as the increased risk to flooding which now occurs in areas that were previously not at risk, the effects are much more severe.
When analysing the positive and negative impacts on both regions, it is clear that Africa has very few positive impacts from global warming. In the Arctic,