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from the geographical location of many countries, characterised byalready warmer climates, marginal areas that are more exposed torainfall variability, poor soil and flood plains; the heavy reliance ofmost African national economies on climate-sensitive sectors suchas rain-fed agriculture, fisheries, natural resources and tourism; andthe continent’s inability to respond adequately to the direct andindirect effects of climate change because of widespread poverty,poor economic and social infrastructure, conflicts, and limited human,institutional and financial capacities.The Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel onClimate Change (IPCC) and the Stern Review of the Economics of ClimateChange shed light on three main current and projected impactsof climate change on Africa’s development. These are:1. Increasing water stress and water-related conflicts: Water levelshave seriously decreased in major lakes such as Lake Victoria,Rift Valley lakes and Lake Chad, which lost over 90% ofits water between 1973 and 2002, and rivers. Coupled with increaseddemand on water, this will adversely affect livelihoodsand exacerbate water-related problems.2. Constrained agricultural production and increasing food insecurity:Climate change is projected to severely compromise agriculturalproduction and food security in many African countriesand sub-regions. For instance, the climate change modellingresults of IPCC indicate that a warming by another 0.4°C on currenttemperatures would result, by 2020, in a shortening of thecrop growing period by more than 20% in the Sahel and a reductionof yields from rain-fed agriculture by up to 50% in manyAfrican countries. More frequent and severe droughts, floodsand weather extremes would also compound the constraints oncrop and livestock production systems.3. Increasing energy constraints: A combination of reduced waterflows to major hydropower dams and worsening depletion ofbiomass energy resources resulting from climate change couldseriously compound the already dire state of energy availabilityand accessibility and, therefore, further impede industrial developmentthroughout Africa.220 Part Five