This document discusses the impacts of climate change on sub-Saharan Africa and actions being taken. It finds that climate change is negatively affecting sub-Saharan Africa's growing population through increased drought, threats to food security and negative economic impacts. While some countries are taking actions like transitioning to renewable energy and mainstreaming climate adaptation, more cross-sectoral actions are needed across the region to fully address the challenges.

1. Climate Change in Sub Sahara Africa(SSA):
Evidences, Scenarios and Actions for Policy Makers
By Fatimata Gaba Ouedraogo

2. Climate change is happening in SSA and is
affecting its growing population:
Evidences, scenarios and actions
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is a rapidly
developing region of over 800 million
people, with 49 countries, and great
ecological, climatic and cultural diversity.
Its population for 2050 is projected to
approach 1.5 billion people.

3. Scientific truths about climate
changes 1/2
1. Global warming is real and
humans are 95% likely the
responsible
2. Global mean warming has
risen by 0.8°C above pre
industrial level
3. Sea level raised by 20 cm from
pre industrial times to 2009
4. Data for NASA of 2012 has
shown that an estimated 97%
of Greenland ice sheet has
thawed
Some of the consequences have
been flooding of arable areas and
increase water borne diseases

4. Scientific truths about
climate changes 2/2
1. CO2 concentration
has increased by
40% since 1700,
because of Co2
emissions due to
anthropogenic
sources.
2. The pH of oceans
decreases when it
absorb CO2 which
leads to ocean
acidification with
grave
consequences on
ocean life
Agriculture, livestock,
marine ecosystem, and
humans have been
negatively affected

5. Sub Saharan Africa is not spared
1. Atmospheric greenhouse gases like Co2 prevent
heat radiation from escaping into space thus
increasing the earth surface temperature. Tropical
and subtropical eco regions in SSA are particularly
vulnerable to ecosystem damage. For instance, in a
2-3 degree warmer world, 25-40% of known plant
species are likely to face increased risk of extinction
2. If humans continue business as usual the world is
on a critical path toward a 2°C warming by 2050
and a 4° C warming by 2100. In SSA unprecedented
heat extremes are projected over an increasing
percentage of land area as warming goes from 2 to
4°C, resulting in significant changes in vegetative
cover and species at risk of extinction.

6. Current and forthcoming consequences of
global warming in SSA :1/4
Heat has increased
1. As temperature rises increase at about
7% per degree of warming, wet areas will
become wetter and dry areas will tend to
get dryer. Africa except some part in
Northeast will become drier.
2. Increased drought: 60% of snow areas in
Africa could be affected by drought by
2100 in a 4° warmer world. The large
affected snow areas are in Africa and
Oceania
3. East Africa has experienced a trend
towards increased drought frequencies
since the 1970s, which are at least partly
attributable to greenhouse gas forcing
(Funk 2012),

7. Current and forthcoming consequences of global
warming in SSA :2/4
Food Security has been affected
1. Sub-Saharan Africa is particularly dependent on
agriculture for food, income, and employment, almost
all of it rain-fed. Global warming shifts the climatic
conditions that are conducive to current agricultural
production.
2. Coral reefs are very sensitive to water temperature
and ocean pH and may stop growing as warming
reached 1.4°C. Around 500 millions people in the
world including Sub Saharan Africa are dependent on
coral reef in some ways
3. Agriculture and particularly maize yield will be
affected: there is a High sensitivity to crops to
temperature exceeding 30 degree. Each 1° will affect
65% of maize yield in Africa.
4. The annual average temperature is already above
optimal values for wheat during the growing season
over much of the Sub-Saharan Africa
5. Since the 1980s, global crop production has been
negatively affected by climate trends, with maize and
wheat production declining by 3.8 percent and 5.5
percent, respectively, compared to a model simulation
without climate trends. Lobell et al. 2011

8. Current and forthcoming consequences of
global warming in SSA: 3/4
The economy is negatively affected
1. SSA region is more vulnerable to Climate
change than developed countries and
most of the population rely on natural
resources for subsistence
2. The economic growth rate has reduced
and will continue so if we do not change
the way we act. Historical data from 1950
to 2003 has shown a negative effect of
higher temperature on economic growth
in poor countries like SSA.
3. Zambia has lost 10.8 billion dollars
accounting for 4% of GDP through climate
droughts and flood. 300,000 people have
been plunged into the poverty trap
4. Pastoralists in southern Ethiopia lost
nearly 50 percent of their cattle and about
40 percent of their sheep and goats to
droughts between 1995 and 1997
.

9. Current and forthcoming consequences
of global warming in SSA :4/4
Poverty could further increase
1. Human health is affected: Lost of
productivity link to climate related
death. By reducing black carbon and
methane emissions (short lived gases
in atmosphere) and dangerous to
human health, 2.4 million /year
pollution related death and 32 millions
tons of crop loss per year can be
prevented by 2030
2. Poverty could significantly increase:
The population of undernourished
population could increase by 25-90%
with a warming of 1.2-1.9° by 2050
3. In 2012-213 countries in SSA like
Tanzania, Nigeria, Niger and Chad
experienced severe flooding because
of unusually active monsoon season

10. There is a need of urgent action
now to mitigate, adapt and
build resilience to climate
change. SSA needs also to act
together with the global
community. SSA needs to act
differently. Are we there yet?

11. Current action taken to
reduce climate warming :
1/3
Case of South Africa
1. Draft of the National
Climate Change
Response White
Paper which outlines
the policies,
principles and
strategies the
country will use to
respond to climate
change.
2. South Africa has
committed to
emissions trajectory
that peaks at 34%
below “ business as
usual” in 2020 and
40% in 2025

12. Current action taken to reduce
climate warming in SSA: 2/3
Case of Zambia:
1. Mainstreaming of the climate
change adaptation and mitigation
processes into the budget
2. Development of a climate
response strategy paper in 2010.
The National Climate Change
Response Strategy aims to make
the country climate resilient and
help fulfill the development
priorities as listed under the
National Long Term Vision 2030.
3. Establishment of Zambia climate
change committee including civil
society to oversee the activities
related to climate change
4. Commits within a decade 25% of
the budget toward climate change
activities .

13. Current action taken to reduce
climate warming in SSA: 3/3
Benin and Burkina Faso: an
example with poorest
populations in those countries
In Benin and Burkina Faso
some initiatives have been
taken to reduce deforestation.
For example by working with
the villagers to develop honey
production from the forest. the
later became defender of
deforestation because it is a
good financial source.
.

14. Is SSA acting differently?
While some actions have been taken to act now
and build resilience, the renewable energy
market is not fully tapped for energy access.
Fossil fuel remains the dominant source for
electricity generation but SSA needs to move
towards a cleaner energy path.
For this, SSA must:
• Promote, as much as possible, the best
affordable clean and efficient technologies
available
• Introduce economically viable cleaner
technologies by increasing the sustainable use
of renewable energy sources where the
potential exists, (ii) fostering energy efficiency
and (iii) adopting cleaner technologies.
• Adopt appropriate policies and put in place
targeted subsidies to foster introduction of
cleaner technologies.

15. BUT ACTIONS IN THE ENERGY SECTOR
ONLY ARE NOT SUFFICIENT!
For the actions to be really effective at the
national, regional and global levels, other
sectors such as Agriculture, Transport,
Industry need to adopt policies and
implement climate-smart projects like
1. Develop strategies to halt
deforestation
2. Use land efficiently and introduction
of climate friendly technology for
agriculture
3. Efficient usage of water
4. Find innovative ways to engage the
population at an individual and
community level for better results.
Each person has a part to play

16. References
1. Turn Dow the Heat: Why a 4 ° warmer world
must be avoided; World Bank
2. Food Price Volatility in Africa. Has it Really
Increased? IFPRI discussion paper, 01239
December 2012.
3. Building Resilience: Integrating Climate and
Disaster Risks into Development: The World
Bank Group experience 82648 V1
4. Energy Sector Policy of the African
Development Bank Group, September 2012
5. Climate Change and Human Health, World
Health Organization, Fact sheet, July 2005
6. Climate Change Awareness Campaign,
South Africa, Department of Environmental
Affairs.
7. IPCCC Fifth Assessment Report.