JOURNALS

ABSTRACT

Climate change has significant and wide-ranging effects on Sub-Saharan Africa. The region is considered most vulnerable due to its high dependence on rain-fed agriculture and low adaptive capacity. Food security is one major area where people living in Sub-Saharan Africa have been negatively impacted by climate change. Farmers have suffered significant losses due to drought, repeated torrential downpours, and protracted flooding. Agriculture is now highly unpredictable due to the alteration of the typical pattern and proportion of rainfall brought about by climate change. Food security is impacted by climate change in a number of ways, including through its effects on the availability, affordability, accessibility, utilisation, nutritional value, and stability of the food system, as well as through its effects on crop yield, water availability, fisheries production, agricultural pests (weed, insect, and disease pests), and livestock production. The Sub-Saharan region of Africa, in particular, is considered to be world's most drought-prone region. Droughts that recurred frequently in the area have led to chronic food insecurity and malnutrition. Many Africans were severely affected by food crises and famine brought on by catastrophic weather events or drought. For instance, famine brought on by a drought in Africa affected more than 120 million people. With a regional average of 26.8% undernourished people and a potential hunger growth rate of above 50%, Sub-Saharan Africa is regarded as the region with the highest level of food insecurity in the world. Having outlined and discussed the threatening effects of climate change on food security, the paper submits that adaptability strategies must be put into practice as the only alternative impact reduction strategies.