Africa and climate change


According to the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 19 countries in the world are known to suffer from water stress.  Africa has more than anywhere else.​

Water stress

The IPCC states that the number of countries facing water stress is likely to increase, regardless of climate change. Water stress is when water demand is greater than available resources.

The IPCC puts forward three main reasons:

  •  The increase in demand due to population growth​

According to UNICEF, Africa, which currently has 1.2 billion people, will see its population double by 2050 and reach 4.2 billion inhabitants by 2100. In 2050, a quarter of the world’s population will be African. "Based on current trends, in the next 35 years, 25 out of 100 people will be African," according to a UNICEF report.

  • The degradation of water basins caused by land-use change
  • Siltation of the watershed

According to the IPCC, the variability of weather conditions can make it difficult to manage water resources both within countries and between them.

A drop in the reservoir level of dams and rivers could be detrimental to the quality of waterways by increasing the concentration of sewage and industrial wastewater. The impact would also be considerable on the population’s health since the risk of epidemics would be increased and the quality and quantity of fresh water used for domestic purposes reduced.

The IPCC recommends introducing adaptation measures, which include water harvesting, outflow management of dams and the more rational use of water resources.

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