Africa readies united front for crucial climate talks
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS, Oct 22 (IPS) – As African leaders meet in Ethiopia to discuss the devastating impacts of climate change, the United Nations has released a report warning that the economically-troubled continent will be one of the hardest hit by the ravages of global warming. “Projected climatic changes for Africa suggest a future of increasingly scarce water, falling agricultural yields, encroaching deserts and damaged coastal infrastructure,” says the 29-page report released here. Titled ‘Climate Change and its Possible Security Implications’, the study says that Africa is “often seen as a continent where climate change could potentially intensify or trigger conflict.” … Hawa Sow of WWF told IPS that Africa is one of the most affected regions, and in some ways the least equipped to deal with climate change impacts. “Already now we see a lot of changes in weather patterns that fit to the scientific predictions of climate change impacts,” she said. These include drought, extreme precipitation, sea level rise and coastal erosion, and glacier melt. “We see more migration and refugees because of natural disasters – and climate change drives towards even more disasters,” Sow said. …
