The impact of climate change on water resources, food security and health as well as the increased risk of weather-related natural disasters poses a significant threat to African development. Failure to respond with effective mitigation and adaptation measures will harm human security and undermine international efforts to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals.

At the fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV), UNU Rector Konrad Osterwalder served as moderator and lead speaker during the Adaptation and Disaster Prevention segment of a breakout session on Addressing Environmental Issues/Climate Change.

Other participants included the Mayor of Yokohama, Hiroshi Nakada, the Director of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, Salvano Briceno, and Luc Marie Gnacadja, executive secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

Prof. Osterwalder said that Africa is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change because of the continent’s low capacity to respond and adapt. Major challenges include higher water stress, lower agricultural production and fisheries resources and and the projected rise in sea levels.

He listed a number of possible approaches to adaptation including diversification of livelihoods, water-harvesting systems, biotechnology research and heat-tolerant crops and storage systems. Successful response, he said, will require assessment of potential losses and adaptation costs, clarification of the benefits and addressing vulnerability caused by commodity market speculation.

Other opportunities for adaptation include better education (particularly at the postgraduate level), facilitating better understanding of the issues and their links to policy, supporting more locally based research, promoting alternative energy sources, and developing (and ensuring access to) new and adapted technologies.

Citing improved modeling/forecasting and careful analysis of previous disaster-response approaches as one possible disaster prevention strategy, Prof. Osterwalder noted that this would require specific inter-institutional coordination and cooperation, changes in legislation and policy and the implementation of applicable technologies.

Director Briceno of UNISDR said that droughts and floods account for some 80 per cent of economic losses in Africa and stressed the need to incorporate disaster risk reduction in planning and the importance of risk assessment, early warning of potential disasters, and education.