Climate Change Impacts in Africa: the Effects on Key Sectors in the Nine Most Vulnerable Countries

In recent years, the effects of climate change have been felt all over the world: from the floods in Pakistan and Nigeria to the heatwaves in India, the US and Europe. Although the effects may appear to be universal, the implications for life and livelihoods vary greatly between regions. In view of these effects, how are African countries faring? How is climate change impacting people's lives and livelihoods?

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on climate impacts, adaptation and vulnerabilities, the African continent, despite its status as one of the lowest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, is already experiencing widespread losses and damages due to human-induced climate change. Indeed, as the African Union points out in its Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plan (2022-2032), the continent is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change. This vulnerability stems from several factors such as high dependence on rain-fed agriculture, inequitable access to financial resources and weak adaptive capacity, among others.

These risks and vulnerabilities are underscored in the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN Index), which shows that 9 out of the 10 countries most vulnerable and least resilient to climate change are located in Africa. The countries include Chad, the Central African Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Niger, Zimbabwe and Liberia. The question, however, is: how do vulnerability and lack of resilience play out in the day-to-day lives of these populations? Which sectors are most affected and in most urgent need of local, national and global action? This knowledge is at the core of ensuring relevant, effective and sustained climate action. To this purpose, APRI has developed an interactive map that displays the effects of climate change on key sectors with immediate and direct impacts on lives and livelihoods in the 9 countries. 

The information contained in the map has been compiled from Nationally Determined Contributions, Biennial Update Reports, National Adaptation Plans, National Communications and climate change or sector-specific reports by international organizations such as the African Development Bank, the World Bank, the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Renewable Energy Agency, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the United Nations Development Programme, among others. The compiled data indicates the state of affairs between 2010 and 2022, unless otherwise indicated on the map. Additional information on the specific data sources for each country is available on the `Reference` cards in the map.