Analyzing the effects of how climate change impacted African economies

Abstract:

Upon investigating the history and shortcomings that lie in the economies of one of the worlds most diverse continents, Africa has consistently reflected a rich legacy of possessing an abundance of natural resources such as gold,titanium and copper,a growing population expected to supersede India and China by 2050 and a decrease in civil wars amongst nations which paves the way for increased tourism, investments and general well-being of the citizens. However, with these robust nuances Africa has failed to fully capitalize on their potential to become a leading powerhouse of the world. Africa’s unpropitious narrative of how increasing temperatures and sea levels will threaten the socio-economic development of many nations as a result of climate change, whilst facing the challenges of high unemployment, low literacy rates and corruption will all simultaneously begin to set the foundation for instablity and stagnation across all sectors within Africa. Therefore this essay seeks to analyze if climate change is the leading enabler contributing towards the decline of African economies, or have these economies been starved of effective political leaders, lack of technogical innovation or inequalities between men and women. To gain a better understanding of the literature revolving around this topic which will be discussed in Chapter 2 we must carefully define the propositions discussed above to better conceptualize their contribution towards to economic decline in Africa.

Firstly, climate change is defined as the “changes in the earth’s weather, including changes in temperature, wind patterns and rainfall, especially the increase in the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere that is caused by the increase of particular gases, especially carbon dioxide” according to the Oxford Learners dictionary. Africa remains vulnerable to climate change despite their low contribution to greenhouse emissions due to rising sea levels that are expected to inundate coastal cities and causing over “1.6 million to migrate to landlocked countries”. However, landlocked countries especially within “Southern Africa are expected to experience their worst drought which will drop crop yields to as low as 35% by 2050”. The severity of climate change is cyclical as it will gradually promote food insecurity if communities are not able to quickly adapt to natural dsisators or environmental changes, which can result in reduced production due to rising sea level and temperatures which is increasingly degrading land, making soil less productive as the loss of soil nutrients and organic matter has negative effects on crop yields. Considering that agriculture has been deemed one of the main economic drivers supporting many African economies, without better preventative measures to counter climate change the continents economic status is predicted to undermine the United Nations efforts of combating world huger and poverty posing an alarming risk on economic growth.