APA-Johannesburg (South Africa) There is an urgent need for African nations to allocate a portion of their financial budgets to proactively address the challenges posed by climate change in its development, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) has revealed in its latest findings.
According to UNECA’s research findings made available on Sunday, these climate change challenges were increasingly impeding the region’s progress towards sustainable development – especially in food production.
UNECA’s data has revealed that 17 out of the 20 countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change were situated within the Africa.
With climate change-related concerns already affecting 2% to 9% of national budgets across the continent, the UN called for concerted efforts to mitigate the adverse impact of global warming on Africa’s socio-economic landscape, the UN agency said.
The research showed that of particular concern among the challenges was the escalating issue of food insecurity, which disproportionately affected 20% of Africa’s 1.3 billion population compared to the global average of 9.8%, it added.
Despite the continent’s being the least contributor to the emission of carbon gases that caused climate change, Africa suffered the most from flooding, drought and other disasters, it noted.
The UN was therefore advocating for a strategic focus on bolstering agricultural production, especially in the cultivation of essential cereals, to combat the rising threat of food scarcity and ensure sustainable food security for the continent, the UNECA said.
NM/jn/APA