Foreword by Felix D. Dakora
The warming rate of Africa over the last 27 years is the most alarming signal of the
need for urgent action to mitigate its effects and implement strategies for climate
resilience. Based on the fourth and fifth reports of the International Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC), it is predicted that average temperatures in Africa will have increased
between 2 and 4°C before the end of this century. At the same time, a decrease in
rainfall of up to 20% as well as extreme events such as floods and droughts may
eliminate considerable portions of low-lying lands, particularly affecting small island
states.
There are many implications of climatic variability and change in Africa; one
of the most key ones is the impact on water resources and hydrological systems,
which directly affect water availability and, in turn, water security as a whole. These
effects will negatively impact water provisioning, as well as rain-fed agricultural
productivity in many parts of Africa, with variation in impacts occurring in specific
places and localities. Various other changes and modifications are likely to occur in
response to the significant variability in the global climate system, including extreme
aridity in some cases and flooding in others. It is clear, therefore, that integrating
climate change risks and opportunities into development decision-making is both
a challenge and a necessity facing the African continent, particularly for the most
vulnerable countries.
This book, Climate Change and Water Resources in Africa, sets out the many
challenges and implications of climate change for freshwater resources in Africa,
including its rivers, lakes, and aquifers. Under the influence of a range of human
factors, the status of water resources in Africa has been changing for decades, playing
out in disruption of water flow and variability, falling groundwater levels, changes in
rainfall levels, and timing, and an overall decrease in water quality. Indeed, change
is not new in this context. Climate change, however, will strongly accelerate the rate
of change, affecting the ability of people and societies to respond in a timely manner
to address their own needs.
This ability to respond to change is compounded by uncertainty relating to the
impacts of climate change. While there are a number of models that attempt to
predict these impacts, many are on a generalized scale and do not project localized impacts. Also, the models themselves operate with a high level of uncertainty
vii
The warming rate of Africa over the last 27 years is the most alarming signal of the
need for urgent action to mitigate its effects and implement strategies for climate
resilience. Based on the fourth and fifth reports of the International Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC), it is predicted that average temperatures in Africa will have increased
between 2 and 4°C before the end of this century. At the same time, a decrease in
rainfall of up to 20% as well as extreme events such as floods and droughts may
eliminate considerable portions of low-lying lands, particularly affecting small island
states.
There are many implications of climatic variability and change in Africa; one
of the most key ones is the impact on water resources and hydrological systems,
which directly affect water availability and, in turn, water security as a whole. These
effects will negatively impact water provisioning, as well as rain-fed agricultural
productivity in many parts of Africa, with variation in impacts occurring in specific
places and localities. Various other changes and modifications are likely to occur in
response to the significant variability in the global climate system, including extreme
aridity in some cases and flooding in others. It is clear, therefore, that integrating
climate change risks and opportunities into development decision-making is both
a challenge and a necessity facing the African continent, particularly for the most
vulnerable countries.
This book, Climate Change and Water Resources in Africa, sets out the many
challenges and implications of climate change for freshwater resources in Africa,
including its rivers, lakes, and aquifers. Under the influence of a range of human
factors, the status of water resources in Africa has been changing for decades, playing
out in disruption of water flow and variability, falling groundwater levels, changes in
rainfall levels, and timing, and an overall decrease in water quality. Indeed, change
is not new in this context. Climate change, however, will strongly accelerate the rate
of change, affecting the ability of people and societies to respond in a timely manner
to address their own needs.
This ability to respond to change is compounded by uncertainty relating to the
impacts of climate change. While there are a number of models that attempt to
predict these impacts, many are on a generalized scale and do not project localized impacts. Also, the models themselves operate with a high level of uncertainty
vii