Climate Change In Sub-Saharan Africa Research Articles

Integration of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) into climate change mitigation and adaptation endeavours: milestones and gaps in South Africa and Zimbabwe’s climate policy frameworks

AbstractThis article was poised to unravel the merits of integrating IKS and the demerits of its exclusion in climate change programmes and policies. The harrowing impacts of climate change in Sub-Saharan Africa make adaptation and mitigation unescapable discourses. As such, climate change policies demonstrate governments’ commitment to fostering adaptation and mitigating climate change impacts evident in every sector of society. The effectiveness of climate policies is measured by their responsiveness to the different needs, aspirations and circumstances of populations plagued by climate change. In the absence of technoscience-based adaptation and mitigation mechanisms, African communities still rely on the repository of indigenous knowledge systems as a source of information, decision-making, and prediction tools for predicting weather changes. For this reason, in formulating climate change mitigation and adaptation endeavours at policy level, it is critical to identify specific strategies where IKS has been used as a warrant towards its usage. This study was qualitative and operated within the traditional descriptive, analytical and interpretive approaches. It relied on a desktop review of journal articles on climate change and IKS, and climate change policies of South Africa and Zimbabwe. These were purposively sampled based on their relevance to the aim of the study. The Discourse Content Analysis was utilised to analyse data from which the findings were derived. The article established that despite the wide recognition of the role played by IKS in climate change adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk reduction, IKS has not featured predominantly South Africa’s climate change policies as compared to Zimbabwe’s climate policies. Notably, disregarding IKS in climate change policies makes them bereft of effectiveness in vulnerability reduction, fostering adaptation and resilience building for African communities that rely on IKS, among other capitals essential in fostering mitigation and adaptation in the face of climate change.

Comprehensive Analysis of Agricultural Practices in Adapting Soil, Water and Pest Management to Climate Change in Sub-Saharan Africa

Agriculture constitutes the primary economic sector in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, engaging over 70% of the population, predominantly vulnerable rural communities. For decades, agriculture in SSA has grappled with climatic constraints, intensifying the vulnerability of impoverished communities. In response, communities have developed indigenous practices to adapt to these climatic hazards, warranting greater recognition for potential optimization. This review identifies agricultural practices related to climate change adaptation, specifically focusing on soil management, water, and pests. The operational mechanisms of the most widely utilized practices were scrutinized through a thorough analysis. The study concludes by identifying nine practice categories. Results indicate that water collection practices and the use of organic fertilizers are the most prevalent in soil and water management. Additionally, agricultural and biological control practices dominate pest management. The comprehensive analysis underscores that the most frequently cited practices may not always be the easiest to implement. Nevertheless, these practices are agro-ecologically sustainable, contributing to soil health restoration, efficient water management, and pest control in Sub-Saharan African countries. The findings suggest a need for a research program that concentrates on the simultaneous application of these practices, enabling their optimization for more sustainable agriculture, particularly in the context of climate change adaptation and soil fertility restoration in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Empowering youth as agents of change: Gaps and opportunities for meaningful youth engagement (MAYE) for sustainable nutrition, climate and public health programmes.

Addressing the intersection of food insecurity, malnutrition and climate change in Sub-Saharan Africa requires meaningful adolescent and youth engagement to drive sustainable change. Drawing on empirical evidence and collective experiences from youth-led initiatives and coalitions, four gaps and opportunities to better involve youth in programmes are discussed, including, the need to: (1) standardise the definition of youth to improve programme design and data harmonisation, (2) provide capacity building and mentorship for youth leadership in health service delivery, (3) foster youth leadership and multisectoral collaboration in food and health systems and (4) enhance capacity development for non-youth actors to support genuine youth participation. This viewpoint underscores the importance of involving African youth in public health nutrition, climate change and food security programmes design and implementation-as drivers of change to addressing hunger and climate crises. By centering youth voices and experiences, programmes and policies can better address African communities' complex challenges, fostering inclusivity, sustainability and resilience in achieving better nutrition and public health programmes and outcomes.

Empowering women through a gender-responsive seed multiplication program in Northern Malawi

Limited access to quality seeds remains a major challenge to improving agricultural productivity and resilience to climate change in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Malawi. Over the past decade, local seed multiplication programs have emerged as a promising solution to enhance farmers’ access to quality seeds in resource-poor regions. Some of such projects have incorporated gender-responsive tools to bridge the gender inequality gap in the seed system. Yet there is a dearth of research examining the impacts of seed multiplication programs on farmers’ livelihoods and in promoting gender equality in smallholder communities. This dearth of research has resulted in the underrepresentation of seed multiplication in agricultural policy. To address this void in the literature, we conducted interviews with 40 participants and three project officers from a gender-responsive seed multiplication initiative launched in 2011/12. Through a feminist political ecology lens, we investigated the program’s impact on gender equality and smallholder farmers’ livelihoods. Our results highlight prominent benefits farmers derived from the program; including livelihood diversification, seed and food security, improvements in women’s household decision-making autonomy, changing gender and social norms, and improvements in women’s leadership opportunities. However, challenges like climate change and constrained market access threaten these gains. Given these insights, we argue that gender-responsive seed initiatives can deliver on gender equality while simultaneously improving smallholder farmers livelihoods. While we advocate for the integration of gender-responsive seed multiplication initiatives into agricultural policy frameworks in Malawi, addressing market accessibility and promoting climate-resilient agricultural practices is crucial to realizing these gains.

A Morris sensitivity analysis of an office building's thermal design parameters under climate change in sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa faces severe overheating problems during hot periods due to substandardly constructed buildings and high-priced energy services. Global warming is expected to aggravate the situation. Although literature addresses the effects of climate change on buildings in different world regions, how it will impact the Sub-Saharan region is still being determined, particularly in terms of design parameters and how they will vary. This study assesses the influence of design parameters on the cooling energy demand of a small-scale office building in Lagos and Kano, Nigeria. A Morris sensitivity analysis was carried out to rank and compare the influence of different design parameters on energy consumption, determined using EnergyPlus for present-day typical weather and the SSP5-8.5 scenario. The future scenario was generated using the Future Weather Generator, a morphing tool. The results show that, in 2080, the cooling load will increase from 1551 kWh/a to 2612 kWh/a (68.4 %) in Kano and from 1931 kWh/a to 3093 kWh/a (60.1 %) in Lagos. The cooling load in Lagos will generally be higher than in Kano by 18.4 % (596 kWh/a). The results indicate that reductions in the thermal conductivity of the east wall and decreases in the solar absorptance of the east wall, roof, and west wall elements will be the most significant factors affecting cooling in Kano. In Lagos, reductions in the thermal conductivity of the east wall and decreases in solar absorptance of both the east wall and roof elements will be the most influential.

PEACE AND SECURITY, HEALTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Purpose: Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is a region that is most affected by both conflict and climate change, with the Sahel, Southern Africa, and East Africa impacted severely. Research has shown climate change is a ‘threat multiplier’ while low state capability and high poverty are core conflict drivers. However, climate change gradually contributes to political, socioeconomic and environmental insecurity and fragility. This study examines perspectives of peace, security and health during climate change in SSA and explores strategic options for the region. Theoretical reference: This study is underpinned by the greenhouse effect, which is a theory of anthropogenic global warming (AGW) supported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Methods: This study was grounded in the postmodernist philosophy, and data was obtained using desktop research methodology. This involved reviewing academic studies and grey literature. Results and conclusion: Conflict prevention measures should ensure that climate change adaptation strategies are effectively implemented because its consequences in the region are now visible. Climate change should not be framed merely as a threat to security but as a security issue, although its role as a threat multiplier must not be trivialised or denied. Some vector-borne diseases sensitive to climate change represent an express cause for health concern, calling for evidence-based solutions. Implications of the research: Climate change has a multiplier effect on conflict and health concerns, which are less understood. Originality/Value: Although climate change does not directly cause conflict and health challenges, this study adds to the policy debate and literature by focusing on the indirect effects of climate change on peace, security and health.

Impact of Livestock Insurance Schemes on Smallholder Farmers’ Resilience to Climate Change in Sub-Saharan Africa

Purpose: This study sought to investigate the impact of livestock insurance schemes on smallholder farmers’ resilience to climate change in Saharan Africa. Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library. Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to the impact of livestock insurance schemes on smallholder farmers’ resilience to climate change in Saharan Africa. Preliminary empirical review revealed that livestock insurance schemes significantly enhanced the resilience of smallholder farmers to climate change in Sub-Saharan Africa by providing financial protection against climate-induced livestock losses, maintaining livestock assets, and stabilizing household incomes during climatic shocks. However, barriers such as high premium costs, limited awareness, and distrust in insurance providers hindered widespread adoption. Recommendations included premium subsidies, extensive education programs, and improved transparency to increase uptake. Integrating insurance with broader risk management strategies was also emphasized to maximize resilience benefits. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and Resource Dependence Theory (RDT) may be used to anchor future studies on livestock insurance schemes on smallholder farmers’ resilience to climate change. The study recommended integrating socio-economic factors into theoretical frameworks, enhancing practical training and capacity-building for farmers, and creating supportive regulatory policies to improve the adoption of livestock insurance schemes. It emphasized the importance of integrating insurance with broader risk management strategies, leveraging technological innovations to enhance accessibility, and conducting continuous monitoring and evaluation to ensure the schemes' effectiveness. These recommendations aimed to enhance smallholder farmers' resilience to climate change, maximize the benefits of livestock insurance, and ensure sustainable agricultural development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Keywords: Livestock Insurance Schemes, Smallholder Farmers, Resilience, Climate Change, Sub-Saharan Africa, Index-Based Livestock Insurance (IBLI)

Agriculture climate change resilience in sub-Saharan Africa: the Badolo scientific framework AgricultureResilience.

Abstract The climate is, in sub-Saharan Africa, one of the main obstacles to the development of agriculture, which is essentially rain-fed. Extreme climatic events have significant impacts on agricultural production, reducing its contribution to economic and social development. Climate change, which will increase the frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events, poses multiple threats to agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa that include loss of development gains, alteration of development prospects and regression dynamics. A response to these threats is an innovation in agricultural resilience policies to accelerate the achievement of agricultural resilience configurations to climate change. In this article, we propose the Badolo AgricultureResilience scientific framework for improving the relevance, efficiency and impact of resilience policies in the agricultural sector to climate change. This framework implements the approach, tools and resilience schemes of the ClimResilience theoretical framework to establish innovative trajectories of resilience to climate change in sub-Saharan Africa for the agricultural sector. It suggests an approach to resilience governed by climate change resilience configurations. It includes families of impacts, vulnerability and resilience solutions that determine the relevance, efficiency and performance of the proposed scientific framework. It integrates an agricultural resilience function to climate change to establish agricultural resilience trajectories, taking into account resilience needs, resilience capacities and contextual specificities. For the agricultural sector in sub-Saharan Africa, the Badolo AgricultureResilience scientific framework is a decision support tool for innovating resilience policies, accelerates the achievement of agricultural resilience configurations and preserve the contributions of agriculture to social and economic development.

Vulnerability and adaptation of maize smallholder farmers to climate change: a Sub-Saharan African context

This study analyzed smallholder maize farmers' perceptions of climate change vulnerability and adaptation strategies in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The study used a cross-sectional quantitative approach, with smallholder farmers selected based on farm size (less than 10 hectares). Using simple random sampling techniques, 210 smallholder farmers in South Kivu Province was selected from October and November 2021. The data were analyzed using frequency analysis, non-parametric Mann–Whitney U-tests, Tobit regression model and structural equations modeling, which demonstrated that demographic and socioeconomic factors influenced smallholder farmers' perceptions and adaptation strategies to climate change. The findings revealed that the level of education, size of the field, and activities of smallholder farmers had significant effects on climate change perception and adaptation strategies. Smallholder farmers' perceptions had a negative (p < 1%) influence on maize smallholder farmers' adaptation to climate change. Common efforts should be made to encourage smallholder farmers to feel committed enough to implement climate change adaptation measures that are effective in mitigating or preventing climate change risk. The results of this study would have implications for policies to support maize smallholder farmers in their efforts to mitigate and resilient to climate change in sub-Saharan Africa. Firstly, the promotion of climate literacy must be sufficient to provide farmers with information on climate and forecasting. Secondly, to empower smallholder farmers with means and resources to prevent and reduce the effects of climate change. Lastly, enhancing the current environment for the agriculture sector will advance community inclusivity and food security.

Rural farmers’ perceptions of and adaptations to climate change in Sub-Saharan Africa: Does climate-smart agriculture (CSA) matter in Nigeria and Ethiopia?

The available literature has ignored farmers’ perceptions on the benefits and drawbacks of adopting climate-smart agriculture (CSA) in favor of focusing primarily on profitability and economic constraints. We use the Ethiopian Socioeconomic Survey (ESS) and the General Household Survey from 2018 and 2019 to compare Nigeria and Ethiopia, both of which have sizable rural populations to assess farmers’ climate change perception and their adaptation options in promoting CSA. We first hypothesize that farmers with high tolerance for risk and stable financial resources are more likely to adopt CSA techniques, relying on the adopter perception theory of agricultural innovations and technologies. We address potential selection bias using the Heckman selection model, and estimate our data using multinomial logistic estimator, as well as standard logistic regression for robustness checks. We find that in both Ethiopia and Nigeria, household income and plot size influence farmers’ adaptations to climate change mitigation practices. However, farmers with bigger plots who run the risk of massive production loss tend to adopt measures of coping with climate change. We show that in both Ethiopia and Nigeria, rural farmers’ adaptation decisions are heavily influenced by agricultural extension programs and community social networks. Overall, our work highlights the important role of income, farm size, and climate-related information for investing in climate-smart agricultural methods to curb food insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Climate smart agriculture? Adaptation strategies of traditional agriculture to climate change in sub-Saharan Africa

IntroductionSub-Saharan Africa faces increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather patterns due to climate change, posing significant threats to food security and rural livelihoods. Traditional agriculture, deeply rooted in the region's history and culture, is particularly vulnerable to these changes. This study investigates the adaptation strategies of traditional agricultural farmers to climate change using southeast Nigeria as a microcosm of the broader challenges facing sub-Saharan Africa.MethodsMultistage sampling procedure was used to select 75 farmer group leaders in the study region. Cross-sectional data were collected through semi-structured interview schedules and focus group discussions. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and principal component analysis using Varimax rotated matrix.ResultsFindings showed that farmers rely on face-to-face discussions with neighbors (76.0%), fellow farmers (66.7%), and radio (54.7%) as their primary sources of information on climate change. Results showed that traditional adaptation practices such as use of organic manure (x¯ = 3.89), traditional organic composting (x¯ = 3.80), afforestation (x¯ = 3.71), agroforestry (x¯ = 3.61) were the topmost traditional agricultural practices use to cushion the effect of climate change. Conserving the overall soil health, soil moisture retention, reducing CO2 emissions and maintaining crop productivity were the major reasons for using the traditional approaches. Climate-induced drought and high cost of accessing weather information (x¯ = 1.93), and inadequate funding (x¯ = 1.92), among others were the key constraints to adaptation.DiscussionResults showed that farmers prioritize agronomic manipulation and integrated research approaches as key strategies to adapting traditional agriculture to climate anomalies. Although farmers used their indigenous practices, continuous learning and improvement through capacity-building workshops and progress monitoring are essential for effective climate change adaptation. Policymakers should invest in promoting indigenous knowledge, provide access to credit for climate-resilient infrastructure, promote climate-smart agricultural practices and foster collaborative research as the cornerstone for sustainable rural development.

Energy consumption and climate change in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)

Energy consumption and climate change in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)

The Impact of the Industrialized Nation's CO2 Emissions on Climate Change in Sub-Saharan Africa: Case Studies from South Africa, Nigeria and the DR Congo

The Impact of the Industrialized Nation's CO2 Emissions on Climate Change in Sub-Saharan Africa: Case Studies from South Africa, Nigeria and the DR Congo

Agricultural Trade and Adaptation to Climate Change in Sub-Saharan Africa

Agricultural Trade and Adaptation to Climate Change in Sub-Saharan Africa

Heterogeneous impacts of greenhouse farming technology as climate-smart agriculture on household welfare in Ghana

The contributions of climate-smart agriculture to the transformation of agri-food systems as well as reducing the vulnerability of smallholder agriculture production to climate change in sub-Saharan Africa have been acknowledged in the sustainable development literature. However, studies on the impacts of adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) have not thoroughly explored the impact of greenhouse technology (GHT) adoption as a CSA practice on household welfare. This study attempts to fill-in this knowledge gap by analysing the drivers of GHT adoption as well as the heterogeneous impacts of GHT adoption as CSA practice on household welfare using the marginal treatments effect (MTE) model and a unique data on greenhouse and conventional farmers from southern Ghana. The findings from the study indicate that GHT adoption as a CSA practice assisted smallholder vegetable farmers to improve their crop yields, net farm returns and per capita consumption expenditures by 21%, 15% and 13%, respectively. Further evidence from policy relevant treatment effects (PRTE) of the MTE model suggests that having access to market and climate information tend to boost GHT adoption, which consequently improve household welfare. Hence, development agencies and practitioners should make conscious efforts to accelerate the promotion of GHT as a sustainable agricultural technology that could minimize the negative effects of climate change.

Spatial Optimization Methods for Malaria Risk Mapping in Sub-Saharan African Cities Using Demographic and Health Surveys.

Vector-borne diseases, such as malaria, are affected by the rapid urban growth and climate change in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In this context, intra-urban malaria risk maps act as a key decision-making tool for targeting malaria control interventions, especially in resource-limited settings. The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) provide a consistent malaria data source for mapping malaria risk at the national scale, but their use is limited at the intra-urban scale because survey cluster coordinates are randomly displaced for ethical reasons. In this research, we focus on predicting intra-urban malaria risk in SSA cities-Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Kampala and Ouagadougou-and investigate the use of spatial optimization methods to overcome the effect of DHS spatial displacement. We modeled malaria risk using a random forest regressor and remotely sensed covariates depicting the urban climate, the land cover and the land use, and we tested several spatial optimization approaches. The use of spatial optimization mitigated the effects of DHS spatial displacement on predictive performance. However, this comes at a higher computational cost, and the percentage of variance explained in our models remained low (around 30%-40%), which suggests that these methods cannot entirely overcome the limited quality of epidemiological data. Building on our results, we highlight potential adaptations to the DHS sampling strategy that would make them more reliable for predicting malaria risk at the intra-urban scale.

The role of climate change awareness for trust in institutions in sub-Saharan Africa

Within the context of climate change in sub-Saharan Africa, trust in institutions is an important prerequisite to implement climate change adaptation and mitigation policies. There is a lack of systematic investigation of the relationship between climate change awareness, conflicts, and trust in institutions. We address this pressing research gap based on a regression analysis with trust in institutions as dependent variables, and climate change awareness and violence as independent variables drawing on Afrobarometer individual data and aggregated data on armed conflicts. Our main findings indicate that trust in institutions in sub-Saharan Africa is influenced by both the individual climate change awareness and the violence context. First, we find a negative relationship between those who are aware of climate change and trust in institutions. Second, we observe a socio-economic divide: young, urban and educated parts of the population as well as those who feel their ethnic group is treated unfairly do not trust institutions. Third, we see a regional divide: those far from political centres are not aware of climate change, and those close to the political centres do not trust institutions.

A Review of the Effects of Climate Change on Water Resources in Sub-Saharan Africa

Water provides different goods and services like handcraft and fishing materials, water supply for domestic use, businesses, agriculture, transport, washing, drinking, and eco-tourism. However, few studies have assessed the effects of climate change on water resources in recent years. This study investigated the relationship between water resources and climate change in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the first segment, Vos-Viewer was used to map, study the literature, and identify any gaps in order to evaluate the interdependence between water resources and climate. The study was guided by specific objectives, which include assessing the adaptation and mitigation strategies for the effects of climate on water resources. Searches for the keywords “climate change” and “water resources” were conducted to obtain literature for this study. A total of 125 papers were selected for this study from 1945–2022, from Scopus, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Web of Science, that were found relevant for this study and were selected and discussed. Thus, the worldwide literature was used to provide a real understanding of the effects of climate change on water resources, adaptation, and mitigation measures. According to the findings of the study, cooperation networks in developing countries were not as prominent as research networks in developed countries. It was shown that irregular rainfall affects water quality and quantity by giving the water a muddy, acidic, and turbid appearance. Therefore, all stakeholders should facilitate prudent water resource usage by 695 million people who still use unimproved water facilities in sub-Saharan Africa

The Inaction in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Some Policy and Legal Issues

This article seeks to examine as to how relevant environmental policy and legal principles deal with adaptation and mitigation challenges posed by climate change in Sub-Saharan Africa. It reviews and analyzes relevant provisions and processes of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement as well as other relevant principles such as common but differentiated responsibility and respective capability (CBDRRC) and binding emission reduction targets. The Sub-Saharan Africa’s attempts to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change are reviewed along with the challenges in the region including the urgent need for climate financing. It concludes by urging the creation of a separate department of climate change by the Sub-Saharan African States, the implementation of environmental liability insurance, the revitalization of the West African power pool project, and the creation of a robust financial mechanism under the Paris Agreement for adaptation and mitigation policies in the Sub-Saharan Africa.

To what Extent Does Globalization Influence Climate Change Sensitivity in Sub-Saharan Africa Countries: Evidence from DCCE-MG Approach

Though, the issue of climate change is a global challenge that has attracted the attention of various stakeholders, but the understanding of various contributing factors to address the challenge still remains a moot topic. Thus, this study investigates the sensitivity of climate change in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries to overall globalization, dejure and defacto globalization, population, urbanization and economic growth using a panel data covering the period from 1990-2018. The estimations were performed using the novel Westerlund and Erdgerton panel cointegration approach to estimate the co-movement of the variables in the long run, while the long-run relationship was estimated using the “Dynamic Common Correlated Effect-Mean Group” (DCCE-MG) techniques and used the “Dynamic OLS” and “Fully Modified OLS” for robustness check. Empirical findings reveal the long-run relationship between the variables of interest. In addition, our study shows a significant and positive influence of overall globalization, dejure and defacto globalization, economic growth and urbanization on climate change in SSA countries in the long-run, while population was found to have a negative and significant long-run relationship with climate change. Finally, the findings implications and suggestions for policy makers in SSA countries were presented.