Abstract

WLOKAS, H L. The impacts of climate change on food security and health in Southern Africa. J. energy South. Afr. [online]. 2008, vol.19, n.4, pp.12-20. ISSN 2413-3051.

Climate change will have a great impact on Southern Africa according to the IPCC. Two closely related topics, food security and health will be affected by the changes in many ways. Difficulties in transporting food through carbon regulations in airfreight, changing conditions for growing food crops and negative impacts on fishery might occur and will very possible lead to an increase in malnutrition in the region. Changes of the climate will also have an effect on the way illnesses are transmitted and cause a number of extreme weather events which can have an extremely damaging consequence on human living. Two main efforts are being work on in terms of dealing with these concerns. At the international, regional and national levels, adaptation and mitigation action is being planned and implemented. Activities at each level are discussed and I argue this in this paper that currently the most efficient way of dealing with the existing and future burdens of climate change impacts are activities at a national level, and enhanced effort has to be made to improve regional and international collaboration in addressing these issues.

Keywords : climate change; food security; health; Southern Africa.

        · text in English     · English ( pdf )