Africa’s unique glaciers may vanish in the next two decades as a result of climate change, according to a new analysis released Tuesday amid dire predictions for the continent that contributes the least to global warming but will bear the brunt of the consequences.
The analysis, released before the United Nations climate conference in Scotland, which begins Oct. 31, is a sobering reminder that Africa’s 1.3 billion people remain “particularly vulnerable” as the continent warms more rapidly than the world average. Despite this, Africa’s 54 countries account for less than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
The receding glaciers of Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, and the Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda are cited in the latest research as emblems of the coming rapid and widespread changes. “They are retreating at a faster rate than the rest of the world.” If current trends continue, total deglaciation would occur by the 2040s, according to the report.
Massive displacement, famine, and increased climate shock-like droughts and flooding are all on the horizon, but a lack of climate data in areas of Africa “is having a major impact” on catastrophe warnings for millions of people, according to WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.
