Study Session 11  Impacts of Climate Change in Ethiopia

Introduction

Climate change is expected to increase the surface temperature of the Earth and the oceans, raise sea levels, alter the global distribution of rainfall, affect the direction of ocean currents and major airstreams, and increase the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events. Climate change is already causing loss of life, damaging property and affecting livelihoods in many parts of the world, and it is expected to continue to do so in the future. Climate change will affect all nations, but the impact will be higher on low-income countries, such as Ethiopia, which have limited capacity to cope with the effects of a changing climate. In this study session you will learn about the impacts of climate change on human health, the environment, agriculture, water supply, sanitation and socio-economic activities, focusing attention on the effects in Ethiopia.