Climate change in the African drylands: Options and opportunities for adaptation and mitigation

Africa is a vast mosaic of diverse and contrasting landscapes, plant and animal species, and human populations leading very different and unique lifestyles. However, when we look at the entire continent we tend to be struck by one significant characteristic: much of it is dry. The wettest areas are located around the forest belts of West and Central Africa and a few highland areas. Outside those parts, Africa is largely covered by barren deserts, savannah, grassland, scrubland, woodlands and dry forests. Indeed, drylands comprise 43 per cent of the continent, and have a population of some 325 million people.

The people living in the drylands are heavily dependent upon ecosystem services directly or indirectly, for their livelihoods. But those services—from nutrient cycling; flood regulation and biodiversity to water; food and fibre-- are under threat from a variety sources such as urban expansion and unsustainable farming settlements. As a result these fragile soils are becoming increasingly degraded and unproductive. Climate change is now aggravating these challenges.The publication highlights the climate change mitigation potential of the African drylands, and lays out various paths towards adaptation which should be supported to reduce the vulnerability of dryland populations, and increase their food security.

Keywordsclimate change adaptation, land degradation, dry sub-humid zones, drylands management, carbon sequestration
Geographical keywordAfrica