CONFLICT AND RISING TEMPERATURE: AFRICAN COUNTRIES SHOULD DRIVE CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION According to a recent report published by the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), conflict was about 50% more likely in unusually warm years when the food supply is scarce. The report examined databases of temperatures across sub-Saharan Africa for the period between 1981 and 2002, and looked for correlations between above average warmth and civil conflict in the same country that left at least 1,000 people dead. The lead researcher, Marshall Burke, from the University of California at Berkeley said, “if the sub-Saharan climate continues to warm and little is done to help its countries better adapt to high temperatures, the human costs are likely to be staggering.” The report also projected an increase in temperature of about 50% over the next 20 years. As donor governments meet at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen to decide on how much money to put into helping African countries prepare for and adapt to impacts of climate change – African governments should also be considering the significance of their own climate policies in averting future conflicts and promoting food security. Investments in adaptation to climate change should be driven by African countries to increase ownership to ensure long-term sustainability.
Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 19:11:28 +0000
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