The Economics of Climate Change and Science of Global Warming Debate:African Perspectives

MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: As at today, it is an indisputable fact that the climate is changing and there is a scientific consensus that the world is becoming a warmer place principally attributable to human activities. Regrettably, the physical impacts of future climate change on humans and the environment will include increasing stresses on and even collapses of ecosystems, biodiversity loss, changing timing of growing seasons, coastal erosion, and ocean acidification as well as shifting ranges for pests and diseases. Consequently, development goals are threatened by climate change with heaviest impacts on poor countries and poor people. In particular, African countries will bear the brunt of effects of climate change, even as they strive to overcome poverty and advance economic growth. For these countries, climate change threatens to deepen vulnerabilities, erode hard-won gains and seriously undermine prospects for development. Using environmental impact and sustainability applied general equilibrium model, this paper argues that climate change will negatively affect agricultural productivity in Africa. Although the obligations to mitigate and adapt to climate change (and to go green) may be costly, it can actually represent an opportunity for African economies. As latecomers, Africa has indeed an opportunity to be at the forefront of the green revolution by implementing green development strategies based on low energy –intensity, low-carbon emissions and clean technologies.

Keywords: Climate Change; Global Warming; Sustainable Development; Carbon Dioxide; Emissions; Methane; Nitrox Oxide; Simulations; Africa; Climate Finance; Abatement; Mitigation; Policies; Green Growth; Green Economy; Environment; Strategies; Perspectives; Challenges; Development Models; Temperature; Agriculture; Productivity; Poverty; Global Partnership; Ocean; Earth; Greenhouse Gases; Envisage; Cge Model; Energy Climate Change; Global Warming; Sustainable Development; Carbon Dioxide; Emissions; Methane; Nitrox Oxide; Simulations; Africa; Climate Finance; Abatement; Mitigation; Policies; Green Growth; Green Economy; Environment; Strategies; Perspectives; Challenges; Development Models; Temperature; Agriculture; Productivity; Poverty; Global Partnership; Ocean; Earth; Greenhouse Gases; Envisage; Cge Model; Energy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D5 D62 H2 I3 L50 O1 O13 O14 O19 O2 O21 O3 O30 O33 O4 Q0 Q2 Q3 Q4 R0 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013-05-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr, nep-agr, nep-ene, nep-env and nep-res
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pra:mprapa:46807

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