Abstract

Climate change has been defined as any natural or induced change in climate either globally or in a particular area However the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change gives its own definition as a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods This definition is holistic as it includes the causative elements of climate change There is consensus that climate change is a critical issue for Africa and indeed its greatest challenge in the 21st century along with poverty There is a speculation that climate change in no specified measure is likely to affect the continent s development trajectory as most African countries are characterized by undiversified economic structures poor infrastructure fragile structures and institutions poor human development and most importantly the heavy reliance on agriculture for the majority of the population The reason for climate change is that Mother Earth our only home is under pressure