Politics & Governance / Public Policy / Environmental & Climate Policy

Why Africa Is Heating Up Twice as Fast: The Silent Thief Destroying Farms

African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation

Walter Leal Filho

In this deep dive, we unpack the African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation, edited by Walter Leal Filho and a team of African scientists. Sub-Saharan Africa emits less than 5% of global greenhouse gases, yet it's ground zero for climate collapse. From maize fields in Zimbabwe where heat sterilizes crops to Zanzibar's seaweed farmers watching their livelihoods rot in warming oceans, we reveal how rising soil temperatures—not just floods or droughts—are destroying livelihoods. The handbook exposes a brutal injustice: the poorest are paying the highest price. We explore why high-tech solutions fail, why traditional agroforestry works, and what this means for global food security. Watch to understand the hidden crisis beneath our feet.