Search NaijaAgroNet

Friday, December 9, 2011

200m Africans are food insecure - ClimDev-Africa


Climate for Development in Africa (ClimDev-Africa) has disclosed that about 200 million of the poorest people on the continent are food insecure.

The Addis Ababa-based team in its latest African Climate Advisory bulletin made available to NaijaAgroNet indicated that many of these Africans have food insecurity through their dependence on climate sensitive livelihoods based on predominantly rain-fed agriculture.

In addition, the team in this publication of the technical arm of ClimDev-Africa, the African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) based in United Nations Economic commission for Africa (UNECA) in Ethiopia, revealed that the vulnerability of these Africans is expected to increase with climate change due to anticipated increases in climate variability, citing an instance with more droughts and floods.

Similar changes, ClimDev-Africa stated are anticipated in crop production, seasonal water resources, malaria prevalence, crop pests and other climate sensitive aspects of rural life.

According to the bulletin, poor rural people with fewest choices, least access to resources, and climate sensitive livelihoods, are most at risk from climate uncertainty.

Experts at ClimDev-Africa pointed out that in a similar way, national economies based on rain-fed agricultural production, and all the many people who work in related activities, are highly vulnerable to seasonal climate fluctuations.

“Hydropower production, irrigation resources, fisheries, pastoralism, post-harvest industries, inhabitants of settlements liable to flood, are all at risk from increased climate variability. These are some of the many target beneficiaries for ClimDev-Africa with a diversity of outcomes expected,” part of the bulletin read.

ClimDev-Africa stated that currently, climate data is little used in development processes in Africa because of weaknesses in both demand for, and supply of, pertinent climate services.

“In order to strengthen resilience to short-term climate variability, ClimDev-Africa will assess primary stakeholder needs in relation to climate information and build capacity in institutions; public, private and civil and people to use climate knowledge more effectively in planning and decision-making,” the team stated.

Also, they stated in a summary made available to NaijaAgroNet that building capacity in climate and weather institutions would provide the many information services required.

LS
... Linking agrobiz, people & technology

No comments:

Post a Comment

Share ur views here