Author Archives: francismatheka

Adaptation, Disaster Risk Reduction

Africa ranks poorly in Global Adaptation Index 2014

The latest Global Adaptation Index 2008-2013, released by the University of Notre Dame, late last year indicates that African countries continue to lag behind the rest of the world in terms of vulnerability and adaptation. The Global Adaptation Index considers vulnerability in six life-supporting sectors – food, water, health, ecosystem service, human habitat and infrastructure.

In the latest release, the report indicates that African countries fared poorly compared to their peers. Only six African countries make it to the top 100 positions out of 180 countries ranked. Among the six Botswana leads the pack at position 54 followed by Seychelles (64), South Africa (74), Tunisia (80), Morocco (93), and Cape Verde and Egypt (96).  With the exception of Afghanistan and Solomon Islands, African countries occupy 8 of the bottom 10 positions. Of all African countries, Rwanda’s readiness improved more than any other country even though its vulnerability remains high.

Detailed Ranking

Rank in Africa Global Rank Country Region Income group Score
1 54 Botswana Africa Upper middle 61.5
2 64 Seychelles Africa Upper middle 59.3
3 74 South Africa Africa Upper middle 57.5
4 93 Morocco Africa Lower middle 53
5 96 Cape Verde Africa Lower middle 52.8
6 96 Egypt Africa Lower middle 52.8
7 102 Ghana Africa Lower middle 51.2
8 109 Gabon Africa Upper middle 50.4
9 112 Algeria Africa Upper middle 50.1
10 113 Namibia Africa Upper middle 49.8
11 123 Equatorial Guinea Africa Upper 46.7
12 125 Libya Africa Upper middle 45.8
13 126 Zambia Africa Lower middle 45.4
14 130 Cameroon Africa Lower middle 44.8
15 131 Rwanda Africa Low 44.6
16 135 Tanzania Africa Low 43.8
17 138 Senegal Africa Lower middle 43
18 140 Nigeria Africa Lower middle 42
19 142 Mozambique Africa Low 41.8
20 144 Swaziland Africa Lower middle 41.5
21 145 Lesotho Africa Lower middle 41.4
22 146 Zimbabwe Africa Low 41.1
23 147 Comoros Africa Low 41
24 148 Ethiopia Africa Low 40.7
25 149 Djibouti Africa Lower middle 40.6
26 150 Togo Africa Low 40.4
27 151 Benin Africa Low 40.3
28 152 Angola Africa Upper middle 40.1
29 153 Gambia Africa Low 40
30 154 Côte d’Ivoire Africa Lower middle 39.9
31 155 Kenya Africa Low 39.7
32 156 Burkina Faso Africa Low 39.6
33 156 Malawi Africa Low 39.6
34 159 Uganda Africa Low 39.1
35 160 Sierra Leone Africa Low 38.6
36 161 Madagascar Africa Low 38.3
37 161 Mali Africa Low 38.3
38 163 Guinea Africa Low 38.2
39 163 Mauritania Africa Low 38.2
40 166 Congo Africa Lower middle 37.6
41 168 Liberia Africa Low 37.4
42 169 Guinea-Bissau Africa Low 37.3
43 170 Niger Africa Low 35.6
44 173 Sudan Africa Lower middle 35.5
45 174 Central African Rep. Africa Low 34
46 174 Dem. Rep. of the Congo Africa Low 34
47 176 Burundi Africa Low 33.8
48 176 Eritrea Africa Low 33.8
49 178 Chad Africa Low 31.6

About the index

The ND-GAIN Index, a project of the University of Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index, summarizes a country’s vulnerability to climate change and other global challenges in combination with its readiness to improve resilience. It aims to help businesses and the public sector better prioritize investments for a more efficient response to the immediate global challenges ahead. Read more at: http://index.nd-gain.org/ranking

Article by: Francis Matheka

matheka@outlook.com

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