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IMF Report on Climate Change says more than half of severely affected people will be in Africa by 2060

September 1, 2023

( 3 minutes read)

Climate change could fuel conflicts in countries with the most fragile political environs leading to an increase in the number of related deaths, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in a report published recently. The IMF considers that it significantly aggravates conflicts and related difficulties, such as famine, poverty, and forced displacement.

By 2060, conflict-related deaths could increase by 8.5% as a proportion of the population in states experiencing fragility, conflict and violence”(FCV) and up to 14% in countries facing an extreme increase in temperatures, the IMF report says. In total, 39 countries, home to nearly a billion people and 43% of the world’s poorest people, are classified as FCV by the World Bank. More than half of these countries, disproportionately affected by climate change, are in Africa.

More than 50 million people in these countries could in turn suffer from hunger by 2060 due to the decline in food production combined with rising prices, the IMF warned. Economic losses resulting from climate shocks are more severe and persistent in fragile countries than in other countries, the report adds. According to the IMF, these countries could face 61 days per year where temperatures exceed 35 degrees on average, four times more than elsewhere.

Extreme heat, and the more frequent extreme weather that comes with it, will endanger human health and hurt productivity and jobs in key sectors such as agriculture and construction, the report highlighted. .

The summit organized from September 4 to 6 in Nairobi will have the challenge of addressing the climate emergency and future issues related to it for the 1.4 billion inhabitants of the African continent. The study is circulated among the members for their perusal and suggestions for resolving them.