Greater Horn of Africa Climate and Food Security Atlas

April 2, 2018
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The Greater Horn of Africa (GHA) is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate-related risks, appearing through highly variable and erratic rainfall together with rising temperatures, droughts and floods that have increased in frequency and intensity in recent years. The economies and livelihoods of countries in the region are highly dependent on rain-fed agriculture, which is extremely sensitive to weather and climate variability. Climate change and extreme events have resulted in increased livestock, crop and human diseases, land degradation, reduced crop production and increased crop failures and livestock deaths. These often lead to increased economic costs to governments including diversion of development resources, food insecurity, malnutrition and loss of livelihoods in affected areas – especially arid and semi-arid areas of the region.

Despite progress in reducing extreme poverty and food insecurity through resilience building programmes, climatic shocks continue to pose significant threats to food security, particularly for the poor. Vulnerable people are trapped in a cycle of chronic hunger and poverty as they lack the capacity to cope with increasing, more frequent and intense risks and their impacts.

Tags: Disasters Risk Management , Agriculture , Climate Forecasting , Water Resources