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Addressing climate vulnerability remains a priority for economies globally. This study used the panel-corrected standard error (PCSE) methodology to investigate the impact of adaptation financing on climate vulnerability. This analysis examined 52 African countries from 2012 to 2021 while considering their climate adaptation readiness. The impact was also assessed based on the Human Development Index (HDI) categories to reflect different levels of development. The findings showed that adaptation finance considerably influenced climate vulnerability reduction in Africa, particularly in nations with a moderate HDI. However, most countries still need higher levels of adaptation financing, resulting in a small impact on vulnerability reduction. Furthermore, the impact of readiness measures differed by HDI category. Economic and social climate readiness strongly impacted climate vulnerability in high-HDI nations, but governance preparedness was more critical in low-HDI countries. Based on the empirical facts, two policy proposals emerge. First, it is critical to reconsider the distribution of adaptation financing to reduce disparities and effectively alleviate climate vulnerability. Moreover, African economies should consider implementing innovative localized financing mechanisms to mobilize extra adaptation finance. Second, African governments should customize climate readiness interventions based on their HDI levels to improve the achievement of a positive impact on climate vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary A rapidly growing body of research examines the ways in which climatic variability influences economic and societal outcomes. This study investigates how weather shocks triggered social distress in British colonial Africa. Further, it intervenes in a long-standing and unsettled debate concerning the effects of agricultural commercialization on the abilities of rural communities to cope with exogenous shocks. We collect qualitative evidence from annual administrative records to explore the mechanisms linking weather extremes to harvest failures and social distress. We also conduct econometric testing on a novel panel dataset of 143 administrative districts across west, south-central, and east Africa in the Interwar Era (1920–39). Our findings are twofold. First, we find robust evidence that rainfall anomalies (both drought and excessive precipitation) are associated with spikes in imprisonment (our proxy for social distress). We argue that the key causal pathway is the loss of agricultural income, which results in higher imprisonment for theft, unrest, debt, and tax default. Second, we find that the impact of weather shocks on distress is partially mitigated by the cultivation of export crops. Our findings suggest that, even in the British colonial context, smallholder export crop cultivation led to higher private incomes as well as greater public investment. Our findings speak to a topic of considerable urgency today as the process of global climate change accelerates, generating more severe and unpredictable climatic extremes. An increased understanding and identification of adaptive and mitigating factors would assist in targeting policy interventions and designing adaptive institutions to support vulnerable rural societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of International Forestry Review is the property of Commonwealth Forestry Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The pressure that climate change risks impose on countries is a topic of interest to policymakers globally. The preparedness of climate change "hot spots" like Africa has been thought to be an important strategy in mitigating the effects of climate change hazards. Using panel quantile regression analysis, the paper empirically tests the effect of adaptation readiness on climate change vulnerability in 51 African countries over the period 1995 to 2018. The findings show that adaptation readiness has a significant negative effect on vulnerability to climate change in the region. The results also demonstrate that Central Africa is the most vulnerable sub-region to climate change with high exposure, high sensitivity, and low adaptive capacity. Whereas Southern and North Africa are the least vulnerable sub-regions to climate change in Africa. The differences in climate change vulnerability and adaptation readiness across Africa imply that blanket allocation of climate adaptation support and resources is unlikely to be effective. Therefore, a paradigm change in the allocation of climate adaptation support and resources is required. • The paper empirically tests the effect of adaptation readiness on climate change vulnerability in Africa. • The central African sub-region is the most vulnerable sub-regional block to climate change in Africa • Somalia is the most climate-vulnerable country in Africa with high exposure, low adaptive capacity, and high sensitivity. • Adaptation readiness has a significant negative effect on climate vulnerability in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]