Climate change is one of the most pressing global challenges given its adverse impacts at all levels and the threat it poses to human security. The African continent is the most vulnerable to the repercussions of climate change although it contributes no more than 4% of global carbon emissions.
Accordingly, here we attempt to identify the impacts of climate change in East Africa and the Sahel, examining the relationship between climate change and growing terrorism on the continent in the Lake Chad region, the role of civil society organizations in managing the impact of climate change, and finally, climate change and prospects for development in Africa.
Some things are clear, there is a pressing need to consolidate climate diplomacy, expand protection measures for climate refugees and individuals displaced due to environmental conditions. It is equally clear that there is a need to activate the level of engagement of the Counterterrorism Center for Sahel and Saharan States.
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Climate Impacts on the Continent</h3>
Climate change is not only a direct crisis in and of itself. The risks it entails are exacerbated by the economic, social, and political conditions in African countries.&nbsp;
Climate change has a number of negative implications and consequences, most importantly:
Recurring Drought and Irregular Rainfall: 
The lack of rain has led to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-61437239">worst droughts</a> in East Africa, especially Kenya and Ethiopia, and irregular rains have caused floods, <a href="https://2u.pw/B7oE3fH">particularly in</a> the Sahel and northeast Africa.
Increasing Water Insecurity: 
Some 400 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa lack access to drinking water. By 2025, 330 million people on the continent&nbsp;<a href="https://2u.pw/1lB4bPg">could face</a> the specter of water scarcity, with another 460 million living with water stress.
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Increasing Displacement and more Refugees: 
Climate change will pose a threat to the stability of communities. This will lead to&nbsp;<a href="https://pharostudies.com/?p=11074">more displacement</a> as populations migrate to more stable areas. Already 12% of the displacements on the continent are found in the African Horn and East Africa. East Africa in particular is increasingly facing water stress and rising sea levels due to climate change.
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Climate change as a catalyst for mounting terrorism in Africa</h3>
Climate change is a key driver of the growing influence of terrorist groups in Africa, particularly since countries most vulnerable to extreme weather conditions are fertile ground for conflict and high rates of violence, as well as rising poverty. This is an ideal environment for terrorist recruitment.
<a href="https://press.un.org/en/2021/sc14728.doc.htm">According to the UN</a>, 8 of the 15 countries most exposed to climate risks are already hosting a UN peacekeeping mission, Mali being the most prominent example. Water scarcity in Cameroon, especially in the far north of the country, has <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/au-summit-grapples-with-coups-food-crisis-terrorism-climate-change/a-61962760">fueled disputes</a> between fishermen and farmers and led to the internal and external displacement of at least 100,000 people in the country.
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Terrorism and climate change in the Lake Chad Basin</h3>
The Lake Chad Basin covers parts of Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria. Some 90% of the region&rsquo;s population is heavily dependent on the lake&rsquo;s dwindling water supply and rainwater. The region has been facing one of the biggest humanitarian crises in the world since 2017, with more than <a href="https://www.adelphi.de/en/project/lake-chad-risk-assessment-role-climate-change-current-crisis">7 million people suffering</a> from severe food insecurity. Nearly 2 million people have been displaced by conflicts in the region.
More recently, severe climatic phenomena have worsened in the region, most importantly, drought and the desertification and degradation of agricultural lands, which is undermining food security. About 30 million people in Nigeria, Chad, Niger, and Cameroon are competing for the lake&rsquo;s shrinking water supplies, leaving the way open for <a href="https://www.visionofhumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/GTI-2022-web.pdf">increased activity</a> by terrorist groups, especially Boko Haram, which is active in the region.&nbsp;
According to the <a href="https://reliefweb.int/report/world/global-terrorism-index-2023">Global Terrorism Index 2023</a>, the countries of the Sahel and West Africa were some of the most harmed by terrorism in the world, ranked as follows:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Burkina Faso: 2nd globally</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Mali: 4th globally</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Nigeria: 8th globally</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Niger: 10th globally</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Chad: 19th globally</li>
</ul>
Terrorist groups, especially al-Qaeda and ISIS, are spreading in Sub-Saharan Africa. Seven of of the ten largest African countries experienced an upsurge in terrorist acts, all located in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Sahel: Niger, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, and Ethiopia.&nbsp;
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Extreme weather events in the Lake Chad region have led to the decline of agricultural production, and <a href="https://www.visionofhumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/GTI-2022-web-09062022.pdf">Boko Haram has exploited</a> the situation to impose its control over vast areas surrounding Lake Chad. The group&rsquo;s attack in late 2020 <a href="https://www.cfr.org/blog/massacre-northern-nigeria-involves-cattle-rustling-jihadis-and-vigilantes">killed</a> at least 81 farmers in addition to hundreds of people in the state of Zamfara, located in northwestern Nigerian.
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Role of civil society organizations in coping with climate change</h3>
Climate change has several overlapping implications for African states. These are no longer limited to the extreme weather events, but extend to the political and economic stability of countries on the continent, especially in the Sahel, which have become staging grounds for the spread of armed groups that exploit deteriorating economic and social conditions to attract more people to their ranks.
Although the African Union has recognized these consequences, it has not made adequate efforts to prevent conditions from worsening.&nbsp;&nbsp;
In this respect, civil society can step into the gap by rapidly responding to existing tensions and addressing the political and social repercussions of climate change in the Sahel region.
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Climate change and prospects for development in Africa</h3>
In light of the compound, adverse implications of climate change for human security, climate change cannot be addressed solely from an environmental perspective. Climate objectives must therefore be incorporated into comprehensive development plans for the content. Addressing the consequences of climate change will foster social and political stability and promote economic development in Africa, thus helping to contain conflicts and prevent violence in the future. Investment in infrastructure is a key priority, particularly in the agricultural sector, which is the backbone of many African countries&rsquo; economies; promoting investment in the tourism sector and supporting sustainable development efforts in coastal areas are similarly important.
To combat climate change in Africa, countries on the continent should raise awareness of the compound risks of climate change, particularly growing security threats, which are hindering the adoption of effective national and regional policies to address risks to climate security.&nbsp;
Some recommendations to combat climate change:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Build and strengthen capacities for climate action in Africa.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Fund schemes designed to mitigate climate change through the Loss and Damage Fund that came out of COP27.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Promote climate diplomacy. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Work to expand the scope of protection for climate refugees and people displaced by environmental conditions.</li>
</ul>
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&middot;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Maximise international and regional efforts toward climate justice. 
&middot;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Create and enhance instruments for intra-African peace in order to prevent the escalation of tensions, wars, and conflicts that may erupt due to climate change. 
&middot;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Recognize shifts in the theater of operations brought about by climate to better keep pace with developments. 
&middot;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Strengthen the role of the Counterterrorism Center for Sahel and Saharan States.
In conclusion, climate change is a dynamic catalyst for violence in Africa. Climate change and its catastrophic repercussions, especially drought, desertification, and water scarcity, are expected to undermine agriculture and food security, and thus displace millions of people. This will exacerbate conflicts and crises on the continent and in turn create an auspicious environment for the growth and spread of terrorist groups.
African states must view climate change as a dynamic variable with a range of implications for the continent&rsquo;s security, economic, and development models.
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