Examine the possible economic impacts of projected climate change for either the African continent or Arctic (15 marks)
Climate change is already hitting Africa hard however, the IPCC (International panel on climate change) have suggested that Africa will be getting even drier and continue to steadily warm like it has warmed by 0.5 degrees Celsius since 1900. Already being amongst the poorest countries of the world, many African economies are expected to suffer further drain as global warming continues to rise.
Most African economies are heavily dependent on agriculture; reliable for their survival, selling cash crops and food production for their own use. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reported in 2007 that 14 countries in Africa were already suffering from water scarcity, and it is predicted that 11 more will join them by 2032. If the world’s global temperature continues to raise the world will become drier, less rainfall will occur and farming families in Africa are going to suffer. The rainfall will decline in areas that need it most who are trying to reduce their debt by increasing over-sea trade; mainly through the production of cash crops which are crops that are sold for income rather than someone’s own food supply. Without a sustained amount of rainfall the crops will begin to fail which will be placing Africa’s food security under a large amount of threat, not only will famine and malnutrition increase which is already a problem at the moment, Africa’s economy will begin to slowly decline as no crops will be shipped nor will money be sent in return. The LEDC’S in Africa have a low capacity to cope and are at high risk putting them at a higher state of vulnerability.
Not only will drier periods decrease rainfall, the harsher weather conditions, such as droughts, will expose soil to erosion by wind, placing more pressure on existing land to produce food. This response will be that more desert land areas will be widened and unavailable to grow crops on due to the lack of nutrition in the soil. Not having vast quantities of land producing nutritious soil
Most African economies are heavily dependent on agriculture; reliable for their survival, selling cash crops and food production for their own use. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reported in 2007 that 14 countries in Africa were already suffering from water scarcity, and it is predicted that 11 more will join them by 2032. If the world’s global temperature continues to raise the world will become drier, less rainfall will occur and farming families in Africa are going to suffer. The rainfall will decline in areas that need it most who are trying to reduce their debt by increasing over-sea trade; mainly through the production of cash crops which are crops that are sold for income rather than someone’s own food supply. Without a sustained amount of rainfall the crops will begin to fail which will be placing Africa’s food security under a large amount of threat, not only will famine and malnutrition increase which is already a problem at the moment, Africa’s economy will begin to slowly decline as no crops will be shipped nor will money be sent in return. The LEDC’S in Africa have a low capacity to cope and are at high risk putting them at a higher state of vulnerability.
Not only will drier periods decrease rainfall, the harsher weather conditions, such as droughts, will expose soil to erosion by wind, placing more pressure on existing land to produce food. This response will be that more desert land areas will be widened and unavailable to grow crops on due to the lack of nutrition in the soil. Not having vast quantities of land producing nutritious soil