Climate Change

Impacts on East Africa

A Review of the Scientific Literature
Africa contains about one-fifth of all known species of plants, mammals, and birds, as well as one-sixth
of amphibians and reptiles. These species compose some of the worlds most diverse and biologically
important ecosystems such as savannahs, tropical forests, coral reef marine and freshwater habitats,
wetlands and montane ecosystems. These globally important ecosystems provide the economic
foundation that many Africa countries rely on by providing water, food, and shelter. However, because of
climate change, these ecosystems and the livelihoods that depend on them are threatened. The aim of this
report is to highlight some of the major impacts of climate change on conservation for East Africa
countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda.
As this paper illustrates, climate change in Africa is not only a conservation problem but is a socioeconomic issue that must be dealt with at a global scale.
Climate change is real and happening now. The average global surface temperature has warmed 0.8C in
the past century and 0.6C in the past three decades (Hansen et al., 2006), in large part because of human
activities (IPCC, 2001). A recent report produced by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences confirms
that the last few decades of the 20th century were in fact the warmest in the past 400 years (National
Research Council, 2006). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has projected that if
greenhouse gas emissions, the leading cause of climate change, continue to rise, the mean global
temperatures will increase 1.4 5.8C by the end of the 21st century (IPCC, 2001).
The effects of climate change such as rising temperature and changes in precipitation are undeniably clear
with impacts already affecting ecosystems, biodiversity and people. In both developed and developing
countries, climate impacts are reverberating through the economy, from threatening water availability to
sea-level rise and extreme weather impacts to coastal regions and tourism. In some countries, climate
impacts affect the ecosystem services that communities are largely dependent upon, threatening
development and economic stability. Future impacts are projected to worsen as the temperature continues
to rise and as precipitation becomes more unpredictable.
One region of the world where the effects of climate change are being felt particularly hard is Africa.
Because of the lack of economic, development, and institutional capacity, African countries are likely
among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change (IPCC, 2001). Climate change impacts have
the potential to undermine and even, undo progress made in improving the socio-economic well-being of
East Africans. The negative impacts associated with climate change are also compounded by many
factors, including widespread poverty, human diseases, and high population density, which is estimated to
double the demand for food, water, and livestock forage within the next 30 years (Davidson et al., 2003).

Summary
Observed Climatic Changes (Hulme et al., 2001; IPCC, 2001)

Warming of 0.7C over the 20th century for Africa

0.05C warming per decade through the 20th century

Increased precipitation for East Africa

Projected Climate Change (Hulme et al., 2001; IPCC, 2001)

Projected warming for Africa ranges from 0.2C per decade (low scenario) to more than
0.5C per decade (high scenario)

5-20% increase in precipitation from December-February (wet months)

5-10% decreased in precipitation from June-August (dry months)

Climate Change Impacts:

Water availability
o Warm sea surface temperatures may lead to increased droughts in equatorial and subtropical
Eastern Africa (Funk et al., 2005)
o Less precipitation during already dry months can lead to drought and increased
desertification (IPCC, 2001)
o Annual flow reductions of 6-9% of in the River Pangani and 10% in the River Ruvu
(Tanzania) (VPO-URT, 2003)
o Complete disappearance of Kimanjaros glaciers by 2015 - 2020 (Thompson et al. 2002)

Food security
o Decline in long-cycle crops and rainfall between March and May from 1996 to 2003 (Funk et
al., 2005)
o El Nio events produce abnormally high amounts of precipitation in parts of equatorial East
Africa and can result in flooding and decreased agricultural yields (IPCC, 2001)
o Warming temperatures may negatively affect some fisheries in the region (Roessig et al.,
2004)
o Warm temperatures may also lead to faster depletion of the limited oxygen supply, negatively
affecting fisheries, and limiting lake overturn (Fick et al., 2005)

Human health
o Climate change is expected to exacerbate the occurrence and intensity of future disease
outbreaks and may increase the spread of diseases in some areas (IPCC, 2001)
o Rainfall and unusually high maximum temperatures are positively correlated with the number
of malaria cases (Githeko and Ndegwa, 2001; Zhou et al., 2004)
o Climate change resulting in warm and rainy days can lead to incidences of malaria events
(Craig et al., 2004)
o Temperature affects the development rates of vectors and parasites while rainfall affects the
availability of mosquito breeding sites (Zhou et al., 2004; Craig et al., 2004)
o Rift Valley fever outbreaks are positively correlated with El Nio events (Patz et al., 2005).

Extreme Weather Events

o Warming temperatures are projected to cause more frequent and more intense extreme
weather events, such as heavy rain storms, flooding, fires, hurricanes, tropical storms and El
Nio events (IPCC, 2001)

East Africa Climate Impacts

o Lake levels in Lake Tumba in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Inogwabini et al., 2006)
and Lake Victoria (Birkett et al., 1999; Latif et al., 1999) have been attributed to climate
variations and may become more variable in the future
o Climate change is projected to cause more frequent and intense ENSO events, leading to
widespread drought in some areas and widespread flooding in others (Wara et al., 2005)
o Warming temperatures are projected to cause more frequent and intense hurricanes and
tropical storms that inundate coastal areas (IPCC, 2001)

Sea-Level Rise
o Warm sea surface temperatures, more extreme weather events, and sea-level rise will lead
to the destruction of coral reefs, which are crucial for coastal protection (IPCC, 2001)
o Mangroves are at threat from deforestation, coastal erosion and extreme weather and have
been identified as one of the most vulnerable species to sea-level rise and inundation (IPCC,
2001)
o A temperature increase of 1.2Cand the resulting changes in precipitation, soil moisture and
water irrigation would cause large areas of land that now support tea cultivation in Kenya to
be largely unusable (Simms, 2005)

Biodiversity
o Climate change is expected to significantly alter African biodiversity as species struggle to
adapt to changing conditions (Lovett et al., 2005)
o Biome sensitivity assessments in Africa show deciduous and semi-deciduous closed-canopy
forests may be very sensitive to small decreases in precipitation during the growing season.
This illustrates that deciduous forests may be more sensitive to reduced precipitation than
grasslands or savannahs (Hly et al., 2006)
o Invasive species and other species with high fertility and dispersal capabilities have been
shown to be highly adaptive to variable climatic conditions (Malcolm et al., 2002)
o Climate change has the potential to alter migratory routes (and timings) of species that use
both seasonal wetlands (e.g., migratory birds) and track seasonal changes in vegetation
(e.g., herbivores). This may for instance increase conflicts between people and large
mammals such as elephants, particularly in areas where rainfall is low (Thirgood et al., 2004)
o A change in the intensity or duration of the rainy versus dry seasons could change relative
breeding rates and, hence, genetic structures in these populations (Poole, 1989; Rubenstein,
1992)
o Large changes in ecosystem composition and function because of regional climate change
would have cascading effects on species diversity (Sykes and Prentice, 1996; Solomon and
Kirilenko, 1997; Kirilenko and Solomon, 1998)
o In sub-Saharan Africa, which includes parts of East Africa, several ecosystems, particularly
grass and shrub savannahs, are shown to be highly sensitive to short-term availability of
water due to climate variability (Vanacker et al., 2005)
o Climate projections suggest that during already dry months, less precipitation will occur,
reducing the resilience of plants (Vanacker et al., 2005)
Species ranges will probably not shift in cohesive and intact units and are likely to become
more fragmented as they shift in response to changing climate (Channel and Lomolino,
2000).

Observed and Projected Climate Change

20th

Overall Africa has warmed 0.7C over the

season, which may cause more frequent and severe

droughts and increased desertification in the region.

century and general circulation models project

warming across Africa ranging from 0.2C per decade
(low scenario) to more than 0.5C per decade (high
scenario) (Hulme et al., 2001; IPCC, 2001).

Recent research also suggests that warming

sea surface temperatures, especially in the southwest
Indian Ocean, in addition to inter-annual climate
variability (i.e., El Nio/Southern Oscillation (ENSO))
may play a key role in East African rainfall and may be
linked to the change in rainfall across some parts of
equatorial-subtropical East Africa (Cane et al., 1986;
Plisnier et al., 2000; Rowe, 2001). Warm sea surface
temperatures are thought to be responsible for the
recent droughts of in equatorial and subtropical
Eastern Africa during the 1980s to the 2000s (Funk et
al., 2005). According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO, 2004), the number of African food
crises per year has tripled from the 1980s to 2000s.
Drought diminished water supplies reduce crop
productivity and have resulted in widespread famine in
East Africa.

For comparison, warming through the 20th

century was at the rate of about 0.05C per decade.
Precipitation patterns in East Africa are more variable;
however, historical records indicate that there has
been an increase in rainfall over the last century
(Hulme et al., 2001; IPCC, 2001). Hulme et al.,
(2001), suggest that under intermediate warming
scenarios, parts of equatorial East Africa will likely
experience 5-20% increased rainfall from DecemberFebruary and 5-10% decreased rainfall from JuneAugust by 2050. Climatic changes of this magnitude
will have far-reaching, negative impacts on the
availability of water resources, food and agricultural
security, human health, tourism, coastal development
and biodiversity and are highlighted below.

I.

In addition to declining moisture needed for

pastoral and agricultural activities, the availability of
water for human consumption is of paramount
concern. Currently, two-thirds of rural Africans and a
quarter of urban dwellers in Africa lack access to
clean, safe drinking water (Simms, 2005). In
Tanzania, for example, two of three rivers have
reduced flow due to declining regional rainfall, which
has had ecological and economic impacts such as
water shortages, lowered agricultural production,
increased fungal and insect infestations, decreased
biodiversity and variable hydropower production
(Orindi and Murray, 2005). High temperatures and
less rainfall during already dry months in the
Tanzanian river catchments could affect the annual
flow to the River Pangani by reductions of 6-9% and
to the River Ruvu by 10% (VPO-URT, 2003). The
Pangani Basin is also fed by the glaciers of
Kilimanjaro, which have been melting alarmingly fast
and are estimated to disappear completely by 2015 2020 (Thompson et al. 2002). The population living
around the base of Kilimanjaro uses this meltwater
and the fog water from the rainforests that cover the
mountains flanks for drinking, irrigation, and
hydropower. The Pangani Basin is one of Tanzanias
most agriculturally productive areas and is an

Water Availability

Arguably one of the most widespread and

potentially devastating impacts of climate change in
East Africa will be changes in the frequency, intensity,
and predictability of precipitation. Changes in regional
precipitation will ultimately affect water availability and
may lead to decreased agricultural production and
potentially widespread food shortages.
Projections of climate change suggest that
East Africa will experience warmer temperatures and
a 5-20% increased rainfall from December-February
and 5-10% decreased rainfall from June-August by
2050 (Hulme et al., 2001; IPCC, 2001). Not only are
these changes not uniform throughout the year, they
will likely occur in sporadic and unpredictable events.
It may also be likely that the increased precipitation
will come in a few very large rainstorms mostly during
the already wet season thereby adding to erosion and
water management issues and complicating water
management. It is also expected that there will be less
precipitation in East Africa during the already dry

East Africa Climate Impacts

important hydropower production region. Because of

this, climate change threatens the productivity and
sustainability of this regions resources, which hosts
an estimated 3.7 million people.

II.

tilapia, (Tilapia mariae), native to parts of Africa, prefer

temperatures between 25 and 33C, depending upon
acclimation temperature, and have a critical thermal
maxima of 37C (Siemien and Stauffer 1989). Though
tropical fishes can endure temperatures very near
their temperature threshold, a slight (1 2C)
increase in regional temperatures may cause the daily
temperature maxima to exceed these limits,
particularly for populations that currently exist in
thermally marginal habitats (Roessig et al., 2004).
However, because there is little data on the ability of
this species to adjust their tolerance to water
temperature their response to climate change is
largely unknown.

Food Security

There is a strong link between climate and

East African livelihoods. East Africa depends heavily

on rain-fed agriculture making rural livelihoods and
food security highly vulnerable to climate variability
such as shifts in growing season conditions (IPCC,
2001). Further, agriculture contributes 40% of the
regions gross domestic product (GDP) and provides a
living for 80% East Africans (IFPRI, 2004). However
because temperature has increased and precipitation
in the region has decreased in some areas, many are
already being affected. For example, from 1996 to
2003, there has been a decline in rainfall of 50-150
mm per season (March to May) and corresponding
decline in long-cycle crops (e.g., slowly maturing
varieties of sorghum and maize) across most of
eastern Africa (Funk et al., 2005). Long-cycle crops
depend upon rain during this typically wet season and
progressive moisture deficit results in low crop yields
in the fall, thereby impacting the available food supply.

An increase in mean temperature may also

affect the dissolved oxygen concentrations in the layer
of water below the thermocline (hypolimnion) in two
ways: increased metabolism of fish and other
organisms in a slightly warmer hypolimnion will lead to
the faster depletion of the limited oxygen supply, and
lake overturn, the primary means of replenishing
hypolimnetic dissolved oxygen, will occur less
frequently (Fick et al., 2005). The African Great Lakes
contain deep anoxic hypolimnia that serve as nutrient
stores. The anoxic hypolimnia of tropical lakes also
contain high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide. This
chemical compound is a byproduct of anaerobic
decomposition of organic matter and is highly toxic to
fish. Moderate amounts of mixing allow nutrient influx
into the layer of water above the thermocline and
benefit fisheries productivity without introducing high
concentrations of toxic hydrogen sulfide (Fick et al.,
2005). This is demonstrated at the stratified northern
end of Lake Tanganyika, Africa, which supports a less
productive fishery than the wellmixed southern arm
and the main basins (Vuorinen et al., 1999). A
comparative study of historical and current levels of
primary production in the north end of Lake
Tanganyika indicated that current levels are much
lower as a result of strengthened stratification
(Verburg et al., 2003). Recent changes in the
limnology of Lake Victoria have also negatively
affected its fishery. In the 1980s decreased turnover
in the lake led to low levels and dissolved oxygen and,
consequently, fish kills. Stratification in this lake now
appears to be permanent (Kaufman et al., 1996).

Increased variability (i.e., deviation from the

mean) of crop production is also a major concern of
farmers in eastern Africa. Inter-annual climate
variability (e.g., ENSO) has huge impacts on the
regions climate. Warm ENSO events also referred to
as El Nio events produce abnormally high amounts
of precipitation in parts of equatorial East Africa and
can result in flooding and decreased agricultural
yields. Further south, in Zimbabwe, researchers
correlated past El Nio events and warm sea surface
temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific with
more than 60% of the change between above and
below average agricultural production of maize (Patt
et al., 2005).
Climate change may also impact the regions
fisheries. While many tropical fishes have evolved to
survive in very warm water, many have a critical
thermal maxima and can not survive temperatures
that exceed this threshold. For example, spotted

III.

frequently exposed to the disease (Patz et al., 2005;

Zhou et al., 2004).

Human Health

Climate variability has had far-reaching

Rift Valley Fever epidemics are also

correlated to climate variability. Between 1950 and
1998 three quarters of the Rift Valley Fever outbreaks
occurred during warm ENSO event periods (i.e., El
Nio events). During El Nio, the East African
highlands typically receive unusually high rainfall
which is correlated with Rift Valley Fever outbreaks
(Patz et al., 2005).

affects to human health, and includes, but is not

limited to, the following: heat stress, air pollution,
asthma, vector-borne diseases (such as malaria,
dengue, schistosomiasis (also referred to as
swimmers itch or snail fever) and tick-borne
diseases), water-borne and food-borne diseases
(such as diarrhoeal diseases). For this report, we
concentrate on just two of these effects, malaria and
Rift Valley fever; however, other health issues are
likely to be affected by climate change.

IV.

Extreme Weather Events

Warming temperatures are projected to

Climate change is expected to exacerbate the

occurrence and intensity of future disease outbreaks
and perhaps increase the spread of diseases in some
areas. It is known that climate variability and extreme
weather events, such as high temperatures and
intense rainfall events, are critical factors in initiating
malaria epidemics especially in the highlands of
western Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda
and Madagascar (Zhou et al., 2004). While other
factors, such as topography and health preparedness
can influence the spread of malaria, scientists have
found a correlation between rainfall and unusually
high maximum temperatures and the number of
malaria cases (Githeko and Ndegwa, 2001; Zhou et
al., 2004). From 1920 to 1950, the highlands of
eastern Africa experienced infrequent malaria
outbreaks; however, since then, the current pattern is
characterized by increased outbreak frequencies,
expanded geographic range, and increased casefatality rates (Zhou et al., 2004). The survival of
mosquito vectors (Anopheles spp.) and the mosquito
parasite that causes malaria (Plasmodium falciparum)
are also effected by climate. Temperature affects the
development rates of vectors and parasites while
rainfall affects the availability of mosquito breeding
sites (Zhou et al., 2004; Craig et al., 2004). The
spread of malaria is seasonal and limited to the warm
and rainy months; however, changing climate
conditions, such as the persistence of warm and rainy
days for more of the year can increase the incidence
of malaria events (Craig et al., 2004). In addition to
longer seasons that are suitable for malaria spread,
temperatures have also been warming in formerly
cooler, higher-elevation East African highlands.
Subsequently, these areas are experiencing a spread
of malaria in populations that had not previously been

cause more frequent and more intense extreme

weather events, such as heavy rain storms, flooding,
fires, hurricanes, tropical storms and El Nio events
(IPCC, 2001). Tropical storms can ravage coastal
areas and intensive the impacts of sea-level rise by
accelerating erosion in coastal areas and by removing
protective natural buffer areas that absorb storm
energy, such as wetlands and mangroves (Magadza,
2000). Extreme rainfall and subsequent heavy
flooding damage will also have serious effects on
agriculture including the erosion of topsoil, inundation
of previously arid soils, and leaching nutrients from
the soil. Regional fluctuations in lake levels are
another impact of regional climate variations and are
expected to worsen with projected climate change.
While land use change can have a dramatic effect on
lake levels, climate variability is more unpredictable
and difficult to manage for. For example, lake levels in
Lake Tumba in the Democratic Republic of Congo
(Inogwabini et al., 2006) and Lake Victoria in Kenya
(Birkett et al., 1999; Latif et al., 1999) have been
attributed to climate variations and may become more
variable in the future. In 1997, floods and high rainfall,
triggered by an El Nio event in eastern Africa,
resulted in a surface rise of 1.7 meters in Lake
Victoria and disrupted agricultural production and
pastoral systems (Lovett et al., 2005). While climate
change is projected to cause more frequent and
intense ENSO events (Wara et al., 2005), impacts are
not uniform across East Africa. In fact, the same year
that the waters were rising in Lake Victoria, El Nio
triggered a severe drought in another location in
Kenya, significantly decreasing hydro-electric power
output, limiting the availability of electricity to East
Africans (Lovett et al., 2005). Further, a projected

East Africa Climate Impacts

increase in precipitation may also have an effect on

hurricanes and storms in the Atlantic. Landsea and
Gray (1992) have found that rainfall in the Sahel is
positively correlated with the intensity of hurricanes in
the Atlantic Ocean.

In the tea-producing regions of Kenya, the

worlds second largest exporter of tea, a small
temperature increase (1.2 C from now) and the
resulting changes in precipitation, soil moisture and
water irrigation would cause large areas of land that
now support tea cultivation to be largely unusable.
Economically, this would have far-reaching impacts
because tea exports account for roughly 25% of
Kenyas export earnings and employs about three
million Kenyans (10% of its population) (Simms,
2005).

Climate change-induced, warming land and

sea surface temperatures are projected to cause more
frequent and intense hurricanes and tropical storms
that inundate coastal areas (IPCC, 2001). These
same extreme weather events can lead to decreased
precipitation in interior regions, causing increased
drought and desertification, subsequently threatening
food security. Threats to food security can then lead to
widespread migration of human settlements in order
to seek better agricultural land, more available water
resources, and escape increased exposure to malaria
and other diseases. The impacts of climate change
also have the potential to disrupt and potentially
reverse progress made in improving the socioeconomic well-being of East Africans such as
infrastructure development, sustainable agriculture,
and tourism.

V.

VI.

Biodiversity

Despite Africas fast-growing human

population and the associated impacts on natural
resources, it is one of the least studied continents in
terms of ecosystem dynamics and climate variability
(Hly et al., 2006). However, climate change is
already having an impact on the dynamics of African
biomes and its rich biodiversity, although species
composition and diversity is expected to change due
to individual species response to climate change
conditions (Erasmus et al., 2002). The projected rapid
rise in temperature combined with other stresses,
such as the destruction of habitats from land use
change, could easily disrupt the connectedness
among species, transforming existing communities,
and showing variable movements of species through
ecosystems, which could lead to numerous localized
extinctions. If some plant species are not able to
respond to climate change, the result could be
increased vulnerability of ecosystems to natural and
anthropogenic disturbance, resulting in species
diversity reductions (Malcolm et al., 2002).

Sea-Level Rise

Sea-level rise along coastal areas where

high human populations occur is likely to disrupt

economic activities there, such as tourism, mining and
fisheries. Sea-level rise and resulting coastal erosion
is of particular concern coastal Kenya and Tanzania.
Warm sea surface temperatures, extreme weather
events, and sea-level rise can lead to the destruction
of coral reefs, which absorb the energy of ocean
swells (IPCC, 2001). Coral reef loss is a significant
cause of coastal erosion and a major coastal
management issue in both Kenya and Tanzania
(Magadza, 2000).

Climate change is expected to significantly

alter African biodiversity as species struggle to adapt
to changing conditions (Lovett et al., 2005).
Historically, climate change has resulted in dramatic
shifts in the geographical distributions of species and
ecosystems and current rates of migration of species
will have to be much higher than rates during postglacial periods in order for species to adapt (Malcolm
et al., 2002). Species that have the capability to keep
up with climate shifts may survive; others that cannot
respond will likely suffer. For example, biome
sensitivity assessments in Africa show that deciduous
and semi-deciduous closed canopy forests may be

Productive mangrove ecosystems along

coastal areas serve as a buffer against storm surges
by providing protection from erosion and rising tides
associated with sea-level rise. However, mangroves
are at threat from deforestation, coastal erosion and
extreme weather and have been identified as the most
vulnerable species to sea-level rise and inundation
(IPCC, 2001). Sea-level rise is also threatening the
availability of freshwater by causing salt water
intrusion into Tanzanias aquifers and deltas.

very sensitive to small decreases in the amount of

precipitation that plants receive during the growing
season, illustrating that deciduous forests may be
more sensitive than grasslands or savannahs to
reduced precipitation (Hly et al., 2006). Invasive
species and other species with high fertility and
dispersal capabilities have been shown to be highly
adaptive to variable climatic conditions (Malcolm et
al., 2002). Due to its climate sensitive native fauna,
East Africa may be particularly vulnerable to exotic
and invasive species colonization.

have cascading effects on species diversity (Sykes

and Prentice, 1996; Solomon and Kirilenko, 1997;
Kirilenko and Solomon, 1998). Vast forest
disappearance due to climate change-induced dieback and land use change would substantially affect
species composition and global geochemical cycling,
particularly the carbon cycle (Malcolm et al., 2002). In
the savannahs of Zambia, research shows that
climate change substantially affects growth in certain
tree species. Chidumayo (2005) showed that dry
tropical trees suffer severe water stress at the
beginning of the growing season and that a warmer
climate may accelerate the depletion of deep-soil
water that tree species depend on for survival. In subSaharan Africa, which includes parts of East Africa,
several ecosystems, particularly grass and shrub
savannahs, are shown to be highly sensitive to shortterm availability of water due to climate variability
(Vanacker et al., 2005). Shrub and grassland
vegetation types generally have root systems that are
shallow and dense; these plants draw their moisture
from water that is available in upper soil layers and
growth in these species depends highly upon the
timing, intensity and duration of rainfall. Climate
projections suggest that during already dry months,
less precipitation will occur likely reducing the
resilience of these plants (Vanacker et al., 2005).
Changes in plant composition will also have an impact
on ecosystem resilience; less diverse systems can be
more sensitive to precipitation fluctuations. For
example, ecosystems that are comprised of uniform
herbaceous cover, such as in savannah plant
communities, show the highest sensitivity to
precipitation fluctuations when compared with plant
communities of a mix of herbaceous, shrub and tree
species that support a higher diversity of species
(Vanacker et al., 2005).

Migratory species that use Africa may also be

vulnerable to changes in climate. In fact, climate
change has the potential to alter migratory routes (and
timings) of species that use both seasonal wetlands
(e.g., migratory birds) and track seasonal changes in
vegetation (e.g., herbivores), which may also increase
conflicts with humans, particularly in areas where
rainfall is low (Thirgood et al., 2004). Land-use
patterns in Africa can also prevent animals from
changing their migratory routes, for example, park
boundary fences have been demonstrated to disrupt
migratory journeys, leading to a population decline in
wildebeest (Whyte and Joubert 1988).
Climate change also threatens some of the
large protected areas (including ones that protect
migratory species) that have been designated to
conserve much of Africas magnificent biodiversity. It
is expected that vegetation will migrate or move in
order to utilize suitable habitats requirements (i.e.,
water and nutrient availability); however, this may
mean that in some locations the geographical range of
suitable habitats will shift outside the protected area
boundaries. In addition, weather extremes can also
affect biodiversity in more complex ways. For
example, in African elephants (Loxodonta africana),
breeding is year-round, but dominant males mate in
the wet season and subordinate males breed in the
dry season. Subsequently, a change in the intensity or
duration of the rainy versus drought seasons could
change relative breeding rates and, hence, genetic
structures in these populations (Poole, 1989;
Rubenstein, 1992). Strategies for future designations
of protected areas in East Africa need to be
developed that include projections of future climate
change and corresponding changes in the geographic
range of plant and animal species to ensure adequate
protection.

Climate change may also affect species

range, which could have profound impacts on species
population size. For example, in South Africa a
modeling study found that a reduction in the range of
a species is likely to have an increased risk in local
extinction climate change (Erasmus et al., 2002). The
authors suggest that this may be due to the positive
inter-specific relationship between population size and
range size; if range size decreases, there is likelihood
that there will be a rapid decline in population size.
Additionally, this relationship could be exacerbated if
climate change restricts the range of a species to just
a few key sites and an extreme weather event occurs,
thus driving up extinction rates even further (Erasmus

Large changes in ecosystem composition and

function because of regional climate change would

East Africa Climate Impacts

et al., 2002). Species ranges will probably not shift in

cohesive and intact units and are likely to become
more fragmented as they shift in response to
changing climate (Channel and Lomolino, 2000). In
fact, up to 66% of species may be lost due to
predicted range shifts caused by climate change in

South Africas Krueger National Park (Erasmus et al.,

2002). To be able to better conserve biodiversity in
the future, it is imperative to understand how species
and ecosystems are likely to change under varying
climate change scenarios (Erasmus et al., 2002).

Building Resilience & Resistance to Climate Change

Both short and long-term adaptation
strategies in response to regional climate change are
beginning to emerge in a region that is rife with
challenges. For every USD$1 spent preparing for
disaster, USD$7 is spent recovering from disaster
(Simms, 2005). As organizations test and develop
new conservation concepts, it is clear that poverty
alleviation must be considered with the conservation
of nature and biodiversity. As some resources
become scare, conflicts between conservation and
other land uses are likely to increase under climate
change scenarios. However, human communities
across Africa are banding together cooperatively to
conserve resources and protect their livelihoods.

Projects should aim to build the capacity of

natural resource managers to assess vulnerability and
to adapt management strategies to respond to
expected climate change impacts (Hansen et al.,
2003).
Climate change impacts to rural farming
communities can be reduced by distributing climate
data regarding seasonal climate forecasts (based on
short-term and long-term forecasts) to small farmers
so that they can make more informed farming decision
and adapt to the changing climate conditions. Some
farmers have already started to use this information
and are preparing themselves for dry conditions by
planting drought-tolerant crops (Patt et al., 2005).
Food production can be improved dramatically in dry
areas when governments and/or organizations use
climate forecasts and prepare accordingly by
potentially distributing drought-tolerant seeds (Patt et
al., 2005). Farmers can also take advantage of
climate forecasts by planting less drought-tolerant and
higher-yield, long season maize when wetter than
usual growing seasons are forecast (Patt et al., 2005).
While seasonal forecasts can be useful in some
situations, it should be noted that they can not be
applied everywhere and that many times they do not
consider multiple climate extremes, for example, they
may forecast drought but not extreme rainfall. The
aforementioned approaches are just a few of the
many examples that governments, organizations, and
communities need to consider in order to adapt to the
challenges of subsistence food production and assure
future food security (Patt et al., 2005; Ziervogel,
2004).

Along the Tanzanian coast, leading

conservation groups are working with natural resource
managers and other stakeholders to integrate climate
change adaptation strategies into their management
philosophies and plans (Hansen et al., 2003). Initial
vulnerability assessments and adaptation planning
from Tanzania point to the need for mangrove
protection, reforestation with climate-smart species,
integrated land-use and marine planning, as well as
activities to improve resource use technology.
Coordinating the testing of adaptation methods in
geographically diverse locations within a common
habitat type aims to increase the replicability so that
the project results can be transferred to other
conservation efforts around the globe (Hansen et al.,
2003).
Conservation of ecosystems and natural
resources requires that adaptive management
strategies are developed or that we accept that many
natural systems will be lost to climate change.

Author and contact: Michael Case, WWF Climate Change Scientist, [email protected]

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Published in November 2006 by WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature (formerly World
Wildlife Fund), Gland, Switzerland. Any reproduction in full or in part of this publication
must mention the title and credit the above-mentioned publisher as the copyright owner.
text 2006 WWF. All rights reserved.

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