This study was conducted to assess vulnerability of West African countries to climate change using selected indicators for adaptive capacity, exposure and sensitivity to generate vulnerability index for West African countries. Vulnerability index was calculated as the net effect of adaptive capacity, sensitivity and exposure to climate change. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to assign weights to the vulnerability indicators used in this study. A total of thirteen (13) indicators were used to generate vulnerability index and vulnerability maps were produced using the GIS software package ArcGIS 10.2. The result shows that Niger, Mali and Mauritania have the highest levels of vulnerability to climate change in West Africa. The countries with the least levels of vulnerability to climate change are Ghana, Cape Verde and Gambia. Generally, this study shows that most countries in West Africa are vulnerable to climate change with ten countries (Niger,
Global warming which is a natural phenomenon has given rise to climate change as a result of man's contribution to this phenomenon. The roles of humans to global warming in two-fold: Firstly, through industrial activities which have caused increase in the concentration of CO2 and other green house gases thereby exacerbating the degree of global warming of the Earth's atmosphere to dangerous levels. The second concern is the denuding of Earth's of the Earth's forest; thereby reducing the Earth's potential to absorb the increase in CO2• Other effects are loss of biodiversity, desertification, genetic erosion, loss of soil fertility and flooding. The way out of the challenge is basically through adaptation and mitigation. Impacts of climate change are now inevitable hence the need to develop stress and drought tolerant species/varieties. Afforestation programs, Community forestry, Agroforestry practices would serve as mitigation strategies for this harmful global phenomenon. This paper therefore highlights some negative effects of climate change on food security, health, biodiversity and the threats they pose on Nigeria. It also looked into likely causes of climate change and the role of forest trees on how they mitigate the effects of climate change.
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