Climate Change - Africa

Question 1

What is Africa’s population vulnerable to

Answer 1

The impacts of global warming

Question 2

What does Africa have a range of

Answer 2

Climates

Dry deserts to tropical rainforests

Question 3

Does global warming have the same impact if every area

Answer 3

Different impacts of different areas

Question 4

How does global warming affect dry (arid and semi arid environments) areas

Answer 4

They are getting drier

Question 5

How does global warming after wetter (tropical and sub tropical environments) areas

Answer 5

They are getting wetter

Question 6

What is the whole continent getting

Answer 6

Warmer

0.5degrees c warming in last century

Question 7

How is Africa’s population vulnerable

Answer 7

Poor countries and people

Question 8

What does Africa’s population being vulnerable lead to

Answer 8

Complex economic impacts and the relative financial costs are massive

Question 9

Example of how poor people have a reduced capacity to cope

Answer 9

Subsistence farmers (only grow enough to meet demands of the family and have no income) will be at risk of starvation if climate change affects their crops

Question 10

What are poorer countries less able to do

Answer 10

Prepare and respond to the impacts of climate change

Question 11

What can political turmoil mean

Answer 11

The appropriate responses are not made, making the impacts of climate change worse

Question 12

Where in Africa is global warming causing desertification and what does it lead to

Answer 12

Major problem in the Sahel region (between the Sahara desert and the fertile area to the south)
Causes a decrease in agricultural production, leads to more poverty, unemployment, malnourishment and starvation

Question 13

What is desertification

Answer 13

Fertile land becomes unstable for agriculture

Question 14

Where in Africa is global warming causing reduced growing period and what does it lead to

Answer 14

Over much of the continent
This decreases agricultural production
In the Sahel region agriculture forms 70% of employment, so reduction leads to increased unemployment, poverty, malnourishment and starvation

Question 15

Where in Africa is global warming causing a more erratic climate and what does it lead to

Answer 15

Eg Mozambique suffered a drought and widespread crop failure in 1995, then flooding in 2000, which displaced lots of people
Homes and infrastructure are destroyed in areas where people are unable to rebuild and recover

Question 16

Global warming may have improved conditions in some parts of Africa for what and what does it lead to

Answer 16

Mosquitos that spread malaria (disease that kills over a million people a year)
The cost of health care and the reduction in productivity mean the economies are put under pressure/strain and prevented from growing

Question 17

What has global warming lead to in tropical areas

Answer 17

They are experiencing longer growing periods, and may financially benefit from better agricultural conditions

Question 18

How is the world unfair

Answer 18

The poorest people in Africa have contributed little to the causes of global warming and yet suffer the most
The economic losses that would be minor in well developed countries can have more disastrous consequence in poor countries, resulting in loss of life