Africa will be the continent hardest hit by climate change because it faces more severe climatic effects than other regions, its economies rely on climate-dependent sectors such as agriculture and its capacities to cope and adapt are generally limited. Fast facts

The World Bank estimates that Africa’s average annual temperature is likely to rise an additional 3-4 degrees by 2099. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, by 2020, 75 to 250 million people across sub-Saharan Africa could face water shortages, and rain-fed agriculture could contract by 50% in some African countries.

Climate change is an urgent developmental challenge with the potential to derail progress towards achieving all eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Africa. From Morocco to Mozambique, the poor, and especially women, will be the hardest hit. They rely on natural resources and ecosystems for their livelihoods, are vulnerable to the spread of tropical diseases such as malaria and dengue fever and are more likely to be affected by extreme weather events.