The Effects of
Climate Change in
East Africa
EAST AFRICA HAS EXPERIENCED A STEADY INCREASE IN TEMPERATURES
OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES, LEADING TO ENVIRONMENTAL
DEGRADATION, WATER SCARCITY, AND AGRICULTURAL CHALLENGES.
Impact on
Communities
ONE SPECIFIC GROUP IMPACTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE IN EAST AFRICA IS SMALL-SCALE
FARMERS. THEY FACE CROP FAILURES, FOOD INSECURITY, AND INCREASED POVERTY DUE
TO UNPREDICTABLE WEATHER PATTERNS AND PROLONGED DROUGHTS.
Rising Sea Levels
ACCORDING TO SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, EAST AFRICA IS EXPERIENCING A
RISE IN SEA LEVELS, ENDANGERING COASTAL COMMUNITIES AND
INCREASING THE RISK OF FLOODING AND EROSION. (SOURCE: IPCC, 2021)
Loss of Biodiversity
CLIMATE CHANGE POSES A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO THE RICH BIODIVERSITY
OF EAST AFRICA, LEADING TO THE EXTINCTION OF PLANT AND ANIMAL
SPECIES. (SOURCE: WWF, 2022)
Health Risks
CLIMATE CHANGE CONTRIBUTES TO THE SPREAD OF DISEASES SUCH AS
MALARIA AND CHOLERA IN EAST AFRICA, PUTTING HUMAN HEALTH AT RISK.
(SOURCE: WHO, 2020)
Problem
Breakdown
USING THE MCKINSEY PROBLEM-SOLVING FRAMEWORK, WE CAN BREAK DOWN THE PROBLEM OF
CLIMATE CHANGE IN EAST AFRICA INTO THREE MAIN COMPONENTS: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT,
SOCIOECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES, AND ADAPTATION STRATEGIES.
Solution 1:
Sustainable
Agriculture
IMPLEMENTING SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES, SUCH AS ORGANIC FARMING AND
EFFICIENT IRRIGATION SYSTEMS, CAN HELP MITIGATE THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON EAST
AFRICAN FARMERS. (SMART: SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ACHIEVABLE, RELEVANT, TIME-BOUND)
Solution 2:
Renewable Energy
PROMOTING THE USE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES, SUCH AS SOLAR AND WIND POWER, CAN
REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND PROVIDE CLEAN AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FOR EAST
AFRICAN COMMUNITIES. (SMART: SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ACHIEVABLE, RELEVANT, TIME-BOUND)
Solution 3: Climate
Education
INTEGRATING CLIMATE EDUCATION INTO SCHOOL CURRICULA AND RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES CAN EMPOWER EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITIES TO ADAPT
AND MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE. (SMART: SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ACHIEVABLE,
RELEVANT, TIME-BOUND)
User Story
AS A CONCERNED CITIZEN, I WANT TO HAVE ACCESS TO ACCURATE AND UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ON CLIMATE CHANGE IN
EAST AFRICA, SO THAT I CAN MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS AND TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT. ACCEPTANCE
CRITERIA: THE CLIMATE CHANGE INFORMATION PLATFORM SHOULD PROVIDE REAL-TIME DATA, EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES, AND
INTERACTIVE TOOLS FOR USERS TO TRACK THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT. (SMART: SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ACHIEVABLE, RELEVANT,
TIME-BOUND)
Measurement
TO MEASURE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE SOLUTION, WE WOULD TRACK THE REDUCTION IN CHEMICAL
PESTICIDE USE, INCREASE IN CROP YIELDS, AND IMPROVEMENT IN FARMERS' INCOME OVER A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD. THIS DATA CAN
BE COLLECTED THROUGH SURVEYS, FIELD OBSERVATIONS, AND FINANCIAL RECORDS. (SMART: SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE,
ACHIEVABLE, RELEVANT, TIME-BOUND)
Revisit WHY
THE SOLUTION OF SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN EAST AFRICA IS CRUCIAL BECAUSE IT CAN IMPROVE
FOOD SECURITY, EMPOWER FARMERS, AND MITIGATE THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF CLIMATE
CHANGE. BY ADOPTING SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES, WE CAN ENSURE A BETTER FUTURE FOR BOTH
PEOPLE AND THE PLANET.
Appendix
IN THE APPENDIX, WE INCLUDE ADDITIONAL DATA ON CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS,
SUCCESS STORIES FROM OTHER REGIONS, UNANSWERED QUESTIONS, AND
ORGANIZATIONS WORKING ON CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION IN EAST AFRICA.
Appendix 2: JANE – SMALL SCALE FARMER
Target FROM KENYA
Demographic
& User Persona
TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC: EAST AFRICAN
FARMERS, STUDENTS, AND
POLICYMAKERS. USER PERSONA: JANE,
A SMALL-SCALE FARMER FROM KENYA,
WHO WANTS TO LEARN SUSTAINABLE
FARMING TECHNIQUES AND ACCESS
MARKET OPPORTUNITIES.
