Climate change, and its impacts on ecosystems and people, will likely be the biggest threat to biodiversity conservation in Africa in the future. The expected impacts of climate change include shifting rainfall patterns, rising temperatures, shifts in seasons, and sea level rise. The sectors that are most vulnerable to climate change in Africa include agriculture, water, and health; coastal areas and islands are expected to be heavily impacted. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projects an economic loss of approximately 10% due to climate change. Biodiversity impacts of climate change include shifts in species distribution and range, and the impacts of mitigation activities. Africa is particularly vulnerable to impacts of climate variability and change because of multiple stresses and low adaptive capacity, which threatens all aspects of the development agenda. Climate change is also closely tied to and has an impact on land use. Furthermore, in terms of biodiversity, there is increased vulnerability. There is also concern that existing protected area networks may not be adequate for biodiversity conservation in a time of changing climate.
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On 19 June 2003, the Africa Biodiversity Collaborative Group (ABCG) held a meeting on “Global Climate Change: Biodiversity Impacts and Conservation Responses in Africa”. The meeting, hosted and chaired by World Wildlife Fund (WWF), provided an opportunity to share information and learn about current activities on how global change will impact biodiversity conservation in Africa.Through presentations, the meeting explored:· Climate Change: From Whence Does It Come and What Does It Mean for Protected Area Management?· Impacts of Non-Climate Stressors on Biodiversity with Special Reference to Agricultural Changes· Impacts of Climate Change in Central and Southern African Ecosystems· Effects of Climate and Global Change on African Water ResourcesThe objectives of the meeting were to:· Increase participants’ understanding of the likely impacts of climate change on biodiversity in Africa;· Discuss current thinking on climate change adaptation mechanisms for biodiversity conservation; and· Examine how to work with African partners to promote adaptation measures to reduce the impacts of global climate change on biodiversity conservation.