Over the coming decades, warming from climate change is expected across almost all the Earth's surface, and global mean rainfall will increase.[7] Currently, Africa is warming faster than the rest of the world on average. Large portions of the continent may become uninhabitable as a result of the rapid effects of climate change, which would have disastrous effects on human health, food security, and poverty.[8][9][10] Regional effects on rainfall in the tropics are expected to be much more spatially variable. The direction of change at any one location is often less certain.
Observed surface temperatures have generally increased by about 1 °C in Africa since the late 19th century to the early 21st century.[11] In the Sahel, the increase has been as much as 3 °C for the minimum temperature at the end of the dry season.[11] Data for temperature and rainfall shows discrepancies from the norm, both in timing and location.[12][2][13]
For instance, Kenya has a high vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. The main climate hazards include droughts and floods as rainfall will likely become more intense and less predictable. Climate models predict that temperatures will rise by 0.5 to 2 °C.[14] In the informal urban settlements of Nairobi the urban heat island effect adds to the problem as it creates even warmer ambient temperatures. This is due to home construction materials, lack of ventilation, sparse green space, and poor access to electrical power and other services.[15]
^Schneider, S. H.; et al. (2007). "19.3.3 Regional vulnerabilities". In Parry, M. L.; et al. (eds.). Chapter 19: Assessing Key Vulnerabilities and the Risk from Climate Change. Climate change 2007: impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability: contribution of Working Group II to the fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Cambridge University Press (CUP): Cambridge, UK: Print version: CUP. This version: IPCC website. ISBN978-0-521-88010-7. Archived from the original on 12 March 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
^ abcNiang, I.; O. C. Ruppel; M. A. Abdrabo; A. Essel; C. Lennard; J. Padgham, and P. Urquhart, 2014: Africa. In: Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Part B: Regional Aspects. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Barros, V. R.; C. B. Field; D. J. Dokken et al. (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, pp. 1199–1265. https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/WGIIAR5-Chap22_FINAL.pdf
^Boko, M. (2007). "Executive summary". In Parry, M. L.; et al. (eds.). Chapter 9: Africa. Climate change 2007: impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability: contribution of Working Group II to the fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Cambridge University Press (CUP): Cambridge, UK: Print version: CUP. This version: IPCC website. ISBN978-0-521-88010-7. Archived from the original on 8 November 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
^ abRural societies in the face of climatic and environmental changes in West Africa. Marseille: IRD éditions. 2017. ISBN978-2-7099-2424-5. OCLC1034784045. Impr. Jouve.