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Facing theclimate changeand securitychallenge inAfricaSwedish Presidency Conference onEnvironment, Climate Change andSecurity – Facing the challenges15 October 2009Stockholm, SwedenThe importance of the entire world to be discussing and debating theissue of climate change in all its ramifications can not be stressedenough, as the various contributions will assist in tackling this pressingchallenge in practical and meaningful ways. This Conference also providesa good opportunity to emphasise the importance of partnershipsin effectively addressing the challenge of climate change, which posesan existential threat to all of us and if not seriously combated can underminehard-worn development gains.Africa’s vulnerability to the impacts of climate change in spite of its negligiblecontribution to green house gas emissions has been well documented.Such vulnerability derives in part from Africa’s already warmclimate and fragile ecosystems, its reliance on climate dependent sectorsand low adaptation capacity. However, Africa is also the region that ismost at risk to climate-induced conflict because of the fragility of statestructures and institutions, an unfortunate history of proneness to conflictand in the current context, the potential of climate change to act asa threat multiplier.The impact of climate change will be felt globally as well as in Africathrough temperature changes, water availability, and extreme weatheroccurrences. If sufficient care is not taken, temperatures will rise in Africaby between 2% to 6% before the end of the century. The picturewith regard to water availability is more varied in the sense that someIntegrating Africa233