Knowra Climate change in Africa Climate change in Africa Climate change in Africa is the long-term shift in temperatures and precipitation across the continent, driven increasingly by human greenhouse-gas emissions and affecting ecosystems, economies, and societies.
Sahel drought : Prolonged rainfall deficits in the Sahel that reduce water availability and stress agriculture and ecosystems. Changing rainfall and rising heat intensify drought risk across this vulnerable transition zone.
Greenhouse effect : The warming of a planet’s surface and lower atmosphere as greenhouse gases absorb and re-emit infrared radiation. Human-driven strengthening of this process is the main cause of recent global warming affecting Africa.
Lake Chad : A shallow freshwater lake and wetland system in the Sahel shared by Chad, Nigeria, Niger, and Cameroon. Its changing extent reflects rainfall, river inflows, irrigation, and water management—not climate change alone.
Climate adaptation in Africa : Measures that reduce African communities’ and ecosystems’ vulnerability to actual or expected climate impacts. Adaptation addresses immediate risks such as heat, flooding, drought, and crop losses.
African agriculture : The cultivation of crops and raising of livestock across Africa’s varied climates and farming systems. Heat, rainfall variability, and shifting growing seasons threaten yields and pastoral livelihoods.
West African monsoon : The seasonal circulation that brings moist air and rainfall from the Atlantic into West Africa. Its timing and strength influence rainfall across the Sahel and surrounding regions.
Horn of Africa drought : A sequence of severe droughts affecting parts of the Horn of Africa, including the 2020–2023 drought. The crisis exposed how climate hazards combine with conflict, poverty, and limited access to aid.
Climate-resilient agriculture : Farming practices and systems designed to sustain production and livelihoods under climate variability and change. It links changing rainfall and heat to practical choices in crops, soils, water, and livestock.
Malaria and climate change : The ways climate conditions influence malaria transmission, mosquito ecology, and exposure to infection. Temperature and rainfall shifts can alter where and when transmission is possible.
Indian Ocean Dipole : An irregular climate pattern driven by changing sea-surface temperature contrasts across the Indian Ocean. Its phases can shift East African rainfall and compound longer-term warming trends.
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