Africa fights climate change but already suffering
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Rising temperatures in Africa are blamed for droughts, floods and storms while the continent's fabled wildlife is struggling to adapt to shifting ecosystems that could lead to mass extinctions.
Scientists say Africa -- the world's poorest continent -- is already paying a high price for global climate change and must now figure out what it can do itself to slow the transformation.
"There has been an observable upward trend in temperatures in parts of Africa, for example in parts of eastern and central Africa and the (southern African) Cape area, as well as emergent water shortages in western Chad and Darfur regions," said Professor Bob Scholes of South Africa's Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research.
"Apart from these factors we have also witnessed an upward spread in bird and fish species, such as the savannah birds, which have migrated due to warmer temperatures."
Experts say global warming may be to blame for the gradual melting of snow atop Tanzania's famed Mt. Kilimanjaro, while Babagana Ahmadu, the African Union's director of rural economy and agriculture, says there is evidence that Lake Victoria, Lake Chad and parts of the Nile River are all gradually drying up due to warmer temperatures.
Harald Winkler of the University of Cape Town's Energy Research Centre said African countries could not wait to see if richer countries take action on climate change -- although Africa's own options were limited.
"While developing countries rightly point to the historical responsibility of industrialized countries, ultimately the problem will come back to haunt us," he said.
"Poor countries and poor communities are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change."
Activists say South Africa, the continent's economic powerhouse, has thus far failed to do much to address its own emissions problems, a poor example to other African countries.
It is rated as Africa's largest emitter of harmful greenhouse gases, with the International Energy Agency saying it released 318 million tonnes of carbon dioxide -- the major greenhouse gas -- in 2003.
South Africa says it is committed to the fight against global warming but the government's desire to ramp up economic growth has at times clashed with its environmental ideals.
The United States released 5,871 million tonnes during the same year.
NOT AFRICA'S FAULT
Scientists and international aid agencies say Africa's contribution to greenhouse gasses is "negligible" compared to that of other continents -- with the average African generating 13 times less in harmful emissions than the average North American.
But the continent has no time to lose to come up with a survival strategy. Continued...
