Publication: Climate Change and the Blue Economy in Africa
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2025-03-26
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2025-03-26
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Climate change impacts the planet overall, and the Blue Economy is not exempt from these effects. On the contrary, the ocean is a major regulator of global and regional weather, and ocean acidification is a fundamental influencer of coastal and marine ecosystems. Climate change is already affecting the Blue Economy in various ways. Sea-level rise is causing havoc on shorelines due to geomorphological processes. Changes in precipitation are causing floods and droughts in unpredictable patterns. Rising sea temperatures are starting to change patterns of ecosystem productivity, which will, in turn, reduce the availability of fish for human consumption. If climate change continues unchecked, extreme weather, such as storm surges, could conceivably combine with normal lunar tides to overwhelm the ability of coastal countries to safeguard their residents and infrastructure. Preparing for these outcomes by developing Africa’s Blue Economy could help reduce the potential impacts of climate change while improving the resilience and adaptation of the continent’s coastal communities.
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“World Bank. 2025. Climate Change and the Blue Economy in Africa. Blue Economy for Resilient Africa Program. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/42999 License: CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO.”
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