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A new study has linked Africa’s climate vulnerability to colonial-era exploitation, using Ghana and Senegal as case studies. In the report, the researcher shows how colonial powers restructured local economies around cash crops like cocoa and peanuts, locking farmers into cycles of debt, soil depletion, and dependence on rainfall. These systems not only enriched European merchants but also deepened ecological risks that persist today, leaving many communities highly exposed to droughts, erratic rainfall, and pests. The research underscores that climate vulnerability is not just about carbon emissions but also economic structures imposed during colonialism. With Africa contributing just 4% of global emissions yet suffering outsized impacts, the findings underscore how climate injustice is deeply rooted in colonial histories.
The Conversation