EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES IN AFRICA

COURSE: APPLIED ECONOMICS

GROUP 11 MEMBERS

OYENEYE FADHILULAHI OLAITAN – 180901131

ADEKOLA OLUWAPONMILE BOLAJI – 180901137
MUSTAPHA AMINAT IRETOMIWA – 180901132
SAINT MICHAEL OYEBADE – 180901135
EBENUWA JOSHUA CHUKWUEBUKA – 180901134
TINUOSHO GANIU OLAITAN – 180901140
LAWAL ZAINAB ADEYINKA – 180905083
OJEBISI ZAINAB OLUWAGBEMISOLA – 180318061
ONUORAH CHUKWUAMAKA VICTORIA – 190318502
AGU OLUCHUKWU INNOCENCIA – 190318503
IBRAHIM KHADIJAT TITILAYO – 180302511
EGBUKICHI JUDE UGONNA – 180901136
ALAO RACHEAL OLAJUMOKE – 180901133
OSESUSI OPEYEMI BERNARD – 180901139
AYOMIDE OLUJEMILUWA – 180901138
ELEGBEDE WAHAB OLASUBOMI – 190318501
LEONARD FOLAYEMI ADENIYI – 180901129
ADELUGBA ADENIYI OYINDAMOLA – 150901080
OLADIPUPO AYOMIDE MICHEAL – 180318062
 INTRODUCTION

Over the years the term climate change and global warming are often used
interchangeably. However, global warming refers to the increase in surface
temperature, while climate change includes global warming and everything
that increasing greenhouse gas amounts will affect. The National Aeronautics
and Space Administration (NASA) defines climate change as a change in the
usual weather found in a place. This could be a change in how much rain a
place usually gets in a year.
The current signs of global climate change have resulted from an average
increase in the world temperature of just 0.7 degrees centigrade since 1900
due to this warming, glaciers and the polar ice caps are beginning to melt
causing sea level increase. Today, climate scientists around the world monitor
atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and create forecasts about their
effects in global temperatures. However, this forecast can only provide
approximations often spark controversy within the scientific community.
Nevertheless, the basic concept of global warming is widely accepted by most
climate scientists. this aims at reviewing the causes and the impact of climate
change on agriculture in Africa, and the possible solutions.

CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE

climate change is caused by number factors, including deforestation, ozone
layer depletion, oil drilling, increased use of fossil fuels, excessive farming.
Deforestation: forests provide many benefits; they also provide an important
defence against climate change since they consume huge amounts of carbon
dioxide through photosynthesis.
Oil Drilling: burn-off from the oil drilling industry impact the carbon dioxide
released into the atmosphere. fossil fuel retrieval, processing and distribution
account for roughly 8% of carbon dioxide and 30% of methane pollution.
Excessive Farming: clearing forests for fields, burning crop residues,
submerging land in rice paddies, raising large herds of cattle and fertilizing with
nitrogen all release greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.
Burning Fossil Fuels : fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal contain carbon
dioxide that has been locked away in the ground for thousands of years. When
we take this out of the land and burn them, we release the stored carbon
dioxide into the air
Volcanic Eruptions : volcanoes have a mixed effect on our climate. eruptions
produce aerosol particles that cool earth , but they also release carbon dioxide
which warms it.

EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON AGRICULTURE IN AFRICA

1) Droughts and desertification may worsen making areas where they
occur unhabitable in the future
2) A warmer climate would lead to coastal flooding due to sea level rise.
This would adversely affect marine fishing and lead to flooding
3) a warmer climate will negatively affect food security in Africa.
4) It could lead to an increase in pest insect populations, harming yields of
staple crops like wheat, soybeans and corn.
5) Heat waves can cause heat stress in both plants and animals and have a
negative impact on food production
MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
1) The use of traditional management system, namely biodiversification,
soil management, and water harvesting can help farmers adopt climate
resilient technology
2) Capture and retention of rainfall and use of improved irrigation practices
3) Investing in heat-tolerant crops
4) Use of alternate energy source to reduce burning of fossil fuels
5) Use of biofertilizers and biopesticides will result in decreased reliance on
chemical fertilizers and pesticides
6) Reclamation of degraded lands by afforestation
7) Execution of policies at global, national and regional levels