Climate Change Impact on Migration and Food Security: An Existential Threat in Africa

Year 2024, Volume: 6 Issue: 1, 90 - 106, 15.05.2024

Ishmael Adjei Oluwaseun A. Oyebamiji

Abstract

Climate change's impact on migration and food security are two of Africa’s most urgent challenges in recent years. Climate change disrupts weather patterns and agricultural production, leading to food insecurity and displacement. This study uses a mixed-methods approach to examine the relationship between climate migration and food security in Africa. The qualitative component of the study involves a review of existing literature on climate migration and food security in Africa. The quantitative component of the study involves descriptive analysis of climate displacement data extracted from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC) database, and data for food security were extracted from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) statistical database. The displacement data were used to plot graphs of climatic factors that influence climate migration. The food security data were used to build a food security index from principal component analysis (PCA) and panel data to examine the relationship between climate change and food security. Findings from the qualitative review reveal that climate mobility has heightened peoples’ movement, leading to an increase in rural-urban migration, the proliferation of peri-urban settlements, and pressure on social amenities in destination communities. The quantitative analysis finds that there is a negative correlation between climate change, migration, and food security. Also, there is a negative association between food security, food price shock(s), and an increase in population in host communities due to climate stressors such as droughts, floods, storms, and temperature shifts. Despite the alarming negative impacts of climate change on human mobility and food security, there are policy gaps regarding what stakeholders do and what is expected of them to address this existential threat. Stakeholders should therefore establish holistic climate adaptation mechanisms such as climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable resource management for people to cope and adapt to climate stress.

Keywords

Climate change, Climate migration, Food security, Flood, Drought

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