Climate Change in Africa: What we know, what we don't, and where we should go from here

CLIMATE CHANGE IN AFRICA: What we know, what we don’t, and where we should go from here By Eyesiere Aniefon Essien and Lisa Jené Climate change is taking a toll across the African continent. While the world is increasingly recognizing the various ways in which climate change is negatively impacting African communities—from decreased agricultural productivity to increased incidence of natural disasters and even to heightened conflict—there remains much we as a global community do not fully understand. Improvements in technology and climate modeling, for example, will help forecasters predict changing weather patterns and warn against disasters. Yet, there is still one resource the international community is not adequately utilizing: the knowledge and insights of indigenous women, and rural African women in particular. We argue here for a radical approach that goes beyond simply elevating the voices of indigenous women; we argue for seeking them and providing them direct support, funding, roles, and platforms. As this goes beyond merely saving “seats at the table” for marginalized voices, we like to call this strategy “mobilizing the table”—i.e., bringing the important discussion to these communities, and to indigenous women especially. What We Do Know About Climate Change in Africa: By now, it is widely understood that climate change is having serious effects across Africa. Climate change has manifested on the continent in myriad ways, ranging from extreme heat, dust storms, and drought to floods, mudslides, and cyclones. Such extreme climatic events have far-reaching impacts on food security and livelihoods, physical and mental health, and economic and social development. Climate change is also commonly described as a “threat multiplier” for the onset of conflict, in that it has the potential to amplify more direct drivers of conflict, such as disputes over diminishing viable land and water resources. Climate change is also associated with increased migration, as it can drive people away from rural, farming areas to seek job opportunities in urban areas or foreign countries. Increasingly, the global community is acknowledging these phenomena. We also know that climate change is an increasingly serious threat across Africa. Africa is, and will likely continue to be, the continent most vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change. The continent’s vulnerability to climate change is driven by a range of factors, including: high rates of warming; high rates of