Majorities of citizens report that crop failures and droughts have worsened over the past decade
Silence Charumbira
ACCRA, Ghana – Citizens across 22 African countries want their governments to put more pressure on rich and developed countries to help Africans who are affected by climate change, according to a recent Afrobarometer survey.
Africans also overwhelmingly support efforts to invest in climate-resilient infrastructure to withstand extreme floods and droughts. Majorities of citizens report that crop failures and droughts have worsened over the past decade.
Six in 10 African citizens have heard about climate change, most of whom say that it is making life in their communities worse. Asked who should take primary responsibility for curbing the negative effects of climate change, respondents are most likely to cite their country’s government, followed by wealthy countries and ordinary citizens.
Key findings:
On average across 22 countries, majorities of citizens report that crop failures and drought have become “somewhat more severe” or “much more severe” in their region during the past 10 years (both 59%) (Figure 1).
About one-fifth say droughts (22%) and crop failures (20%) have become less severe in the area where they live.
Assessments vary regarding the intensification of floods, landslides or mudslides, and land or soil erosion.
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Six in 10 Africans (59%) have heard about climate change (Figure 2).
Awareness is particularly high in Mauritius (83%), Gabon (79%), and Malawi (77%), but low in Tunisia (37%) and Tanzania (38%).
Among those who are aware of climate change:
The overwhelming majority (81%) say climate change is making life in their countries worse (Figure 3).
More than nine in 10 report negative impacts in Mauritius (95%), Zimbabwe (93%), Zambia (93%), and Lesotho (92%).
Asked who should bear primary responsibility for limiting climate change, the most common answer is the respondent’s government (cited by 37%), followed by rich or developed countries (26%) and ordinary citizens (18%) (Figure 4).
More than three-quarters (77%) of Africans say their governments should put more pressure on rich and developed countries to provide resources to help citizens who are affected by climate change or changes in weather conditions (Figure 5).
An even higher proportion (82%) support investment in climate-resilient infrastructure in response to changing weather patterns and environmental degradation.
Afrobarometer surveys
Afrobarometer is a pan-African, non-partisan survey research network that provides reliable data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life. Nine survey rounds in up to 42 countries have been completed since 1999. Round 10 surveys were launched in January 2024.
Afrobarometer’s national partners conduct face-to-face interviews in the language of the respondent’s choice with samples of 1,200-2,400 adults that yield country-level results with margins of error of +/-2 to +/-3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
[1] The question about the severity of mudslides/landslides was asked in 14 countries, and the question about the severity of land/soil erosion was asked in 16 countries.
[2] The question about promoting electric taxis was asked in 12 countries.
