Africa should act fast in finding ways to deal with the effects of climate change, a panel of experts said on Tuesday in Johannesburg.
Methods to preserve water should top the list, panel member Pauline Dube said. ”If we don’t take steps fast to preserve water, we are headed for a crisis.”
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was briefing reporters on the findings of a study on the effects of climate change. The panel has been set up and is sponsored by the United Nations. It includes researchers from African countries.
Dube said African leaders should not wait for the world to succeed in reversing carbon-dioxide emissions, but should rather act now, as Africa is already a semi-arid area.
A draft report by the panel on the effects of climate change shows between 75-million and 250-million Africans will suffer from increased water shortages due to climate change by 2020.
Agricultural production, including access to food, will be compromised by climate change. Areas suitable for agriculture, particularly along the margins of semi-arid and arid areas, will decrease. The length of the growing season and yield potential will also shrink.
Another negative effect of global warming will be a decrease in fish in large lakes.
Dube said African leaders need to adapt without delay. ”If the current policies of our governments are not including these climate changes, we need to change them so that we can adapt.”
South African scientist Guy Midgley, a member of the panel, said the cost of adaptations to deal with climate change could amount to between 5% and 10% of gross domestic product.
”People don’t really change when they see the light; they change when they feel the heat,” he said. ”That is not to say that government is not doing anything about it. There have been a lot of behind-the-scenes talks with the [South African] government and the Water Affairs and Forestry Department.”
But the message of global warming can be communicated more effectively. ”The unavoidable regional warming is close to one degree [Celsius]. Adaptation is going be necessary. I believe that we do have the capacity to make a change we just need to act fast,” said Midgley.
Dube said if mitigation strategies are combined with adaptation methods, the water shortage problem could be curbed by 2015. Communities should not only rely on the government, but can also play a part in conserving the environment.
”In the case of water, we could start by not wasting water in our own homes. One could rather have a shower as opposed to bathing,” Dube said. ”In my country [Botswana], we have already started using recycled water. At first people were against it, but they have since realised that there is no other solution as we are experiencing severe droughts.”
The full 1 500-page report will be released next month. — Sapa