Climate change in South Africa
Climate change in South Africa is leading to increased temperatures and rainfall variability. Evidence shows that extreme weather events are becoming more prominent due to climate change. This is a critical concern for South Africans as climate change will affect the overall status and wellbeing of the country, for example with regards to water resources. Just like many other parts of the world, climate research showed that the real challenge in South Africa was more related to environmental issues rather than developmental ones. The most severe effect will be targeting the water supply, which has huge effects on the agriculture sector. Speedy environmental changes are resulting in clear effects on the community and environmental level in different ways and aspects, starting with air quality, to temperature and weather patterns, reaching out to food security and disease burden.
The various effects of climate change on rural communities are expected to include: drought, depletion of water resources and biodiversity, soil erosion, decreased subsistence economies and cessation of cultural activities.
South Africa contributes considerable CO
2 emissions, being the 14th largest emitter of CO
2. Above the global average, South Africa had 9.5 tons of CO
2 emissions per capita in 2015. This is in large part due to its energy system relying heavily on coal and oil. As part of its international commitments, South Africa has pledged to peak emissions between 2020 and 2025.