Climate Change Impacts Across the African Continent
The Relentless March of Desertification
Africa continues to bear the brunt of the global climate crisis, with desertification and land degradation emerging as one of the continent’s most pressing environmental challenges. In the Sahel region, which stretches from Senegal to Sudan, the southward creep of the Sahara desert is displacing communities and disrupting livelihoods that have depended on agriculture and pastoralism for generations.
“The Sahara is advancing at an alarming rate, swallowing up arable land and grazing areas that communities have relied on for centuries,” says Fatima Jibrell, a Somali environmentalist and founder of Horn Relief. “Families that have been farming or herding in the same areas for generations are now being forced to move further south, leading to tensions over scarce resources and competition for land.”
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification estimates that over 65% of Africa’s arable land is already degraded, with the Sahel region being particularly hard hit. Erratic rainfall patterns, exacerbated by climate change, have led to more frequent and severe droughts, devastating crop yields and livestock herds.
“We’re seeing pastoralist communities that have lost up to 80% of their livestock due to the prolonged droughts,” explains Jibrell. “They have no choice but to abandon their traditional way of life and either move to urban centers or attempt to eke out an existence on the fringes of the expanding desert.”
The displacement of these communities is in turn fueling conflicts over dwindling natural resources, with deadly clashes between farmers and herders becoming increasingly commonplace in countries like Nigeria, Mali, and Ethiopia. Analysts warn that the convergence of environmental degradation, resource scarcity, and violent conflict could destabilize entire regions if left unaddressed.
Flooding and Coastal Erosion
While parts of Africa grapple with desertification, other regions are being battered by severe flooding and coastal erosion. In 2022, torrential rains triggered devastating floods across Nigeria, South Sudan, and Somalia, displacing millions and submerging entire communities.
“The flooding was unlike anything we had ever seen before,” says Fatima Osman, a community organizer in Mombasa, Kenya. “Whole neighborhoods were under water for weeks, and people lost everything – their homes, their livelihoods, even family members.”
Coastal communities across Africa are also facing an existential threat from rising sea levels and increasingly intense storm surges. In Senegal, the seaside town of Bargny has seen over 100 meters of its coastline eroded away in the past decade, forcing residents to abandon their homes and businesses.
“It’s heartbreaking to see the place where I grew up literally disappearing into the ocean,” says Mariam Seck, a Bargny native now living in the capital Dakar. “The sea is encroaching further and further inland, and there’s a real fear that our entire community will have to be relocated in the coming years.”
Coastal erosion is also threatening critical infrastructure and economic activities in port cities like Lagos, Maputo, and Dar es Salaam. Damage to roads, railways, and port facilities can have ripple effects throughout national and regional supply chains, exacerbating economic vulnerabilities.
Public Health Crises
Alongside the physical devastation wrought by extreme weather events, climate change is also fueling public health emergencies across Africa. Diseases like malaria, cholera, and Ebola are spreading to new areas as habitats and environmental conditions shift.
“We’re seeing malaria reach into highland regions that were previously unaffected, as warming temperatures allow the mosquito vectors to thrive in new areas,” explains Dr. Fatima Abubaker, a public health specialist in Sudan. “At the same time, floods and droughts are contaminating water sources and disrupting sanitation systems, leading to cholera outbreaks in both rural and urban settings.”
In 2018, an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo was exacerbated by heavy rainfall and flooding, which facilitated the spread of the virus from rural areas into the provincial capital of Mbandaka. Experts warn that as the climate continues to change, the risk of zoonotic disease spillover events and epidemics will only increase.
“Climate change is a true ‘multiplier of threats’ when it comes to public health,” says Dr. Abubaker. “It’s not just the direct impacts of extreme weather, but the cascading effects on food and water security, ecosystem disruption, and human migration that create the conditions for disease outbreaks to thrive.”
The Disproportionate Impact on Women
Across the African continent, the impacts of climate change are felt most acutely by women and girls. As the primary providers of food, water, and household fuel in many communities, women bear the brunt of environmental degradation and resource scarcity.
“When the rains fail or the land becomes infertile, women have to walk further to fetch water and gather firewood, taking time away from other productive activities like farming or running small businesses,” explains Fatima Jibrell. “This increased workload often means girls are kept out of school to help with domestic chores, perpetuating cycles of poverty and disempowerment.”
The threat of gender-based violence also escalates in the context of climate-induced displacement and resource conflicts. Refugee camps and informal settlements often lack adequate security measures, leaving women and girls vulnerable to assault, trafficking, and exploitation.
“We’ve documented cases of young women being attacked while collecting firewood or water, or even experiencing violence within the supposedly ‘safe’ confines of a displacement camp,” says Mariam Seck, the community organizer from Mombasa. “Climate change is not only a physical threat, but a very real threat to the safety and wellbeing of women and girls.”
Despite these disproportionate burdens, women are also at the forefront of grassroots efforts to build climate resilience in their communities. From establishing early warning systems to managing community-based adaptation projects, women are leveraging their local knowledge and leadership skills to develop innovative solutions.
“Women often have a deeper, more intimate understanding of the land, the weather patterns, and the needs of their communities,” explains Dr. Fatima Abubaker. “By amplifying their voices and empowering them as agents of change, we can unlock immense potential for climate action that is both effective and equitable.”
Challenges in Adaptation and Mitigation
Across Africa, governments and international aid organizations are scrambling to scale up climate adaptation and mitigation efforts. However, significant challenges remain in terms of funding, coordination, and the integration of community-based approaches.
“The financing gap for climate action in Africa is staggering – estimates suggest we need hundreds of billions of dollars per year to adequately address the crisis,” says Fatima Jibrell. “Yet the international community has been slow to deliver on its commitments, leaving many countries struggling to mobilize the resources they need.”
Even when funding is available, poor coordination between national, regional, and local actors can undermine the impact of adaptation and mitigation initiatives. Policy coherence and information-sharing between government ministries, civil society groups, and traditional authorities remain persistent challenges.
“We’ve seen well-intentioned projects fail because they didn’t take into account the local context or engage substantively with community members,” explains Mariam Seck. “Top-down, one-size-fits-all approaches simply don’t work when it comes to building climate resilience.”
Experts argue that elevating the role of women, youth, and Indigenous communities in the design and implementation of climate solutions is crucial for ensuring their long-term sustainability and effectiveness.
“These are the people who are living with the daily realities of environmental change, and they often have the most innovative and culturally-appropriate ideas for how to adapt,” says Dr. Fatima Abubaker. “Tapping into their knowledge and leadership is not only the right thing to do, but it’s also a practical necessity if we want to tackle this crisis head-on.”
A Call for Urgent Action
As the impacts of climate change continue to reverberate across the African continent, there is a growing sense of urgency among policymakers, activists, and community leaders to mobilize a coordinated, continent-wide response.
“We are running out of time,” warns Fatima Jibrell. “The scale and severity of the challenges we face – from food insecurity and water scarcity to mass displacement and public health emergencies – are unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. Immediate and sustained action is required to avert a humanitarian catastrophe of unimaginable proportions.”
This call for action extends beyond the borders of individual countries, requiring a renewed commitment to regional cooperation and solidarity. Organizations like the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will be instrumental in driving a coherent, cross-cutting policy agenda to address the climate crisis.
