Officials from G8 nations undertook here on Tuesday to set up micro-credit facilities for African nations with the help of the World Bank.

German Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul said giving poor Africans access to credit would be at the top of the agenda when leaders of the Group of Eight wealthiest nations meet in Germany in June.

Africa’s vast arable lands have the potential to rival top agricultural nations like the United States in supplying biofuels to a world seeking cleaner energy sources.

But using land reserved for food production to supply biofuel demand could squeeze food supplies in a region vulnerable to shortages. It could also hurt poor consumers if the biofuel boom continues to push food prices higher.

“Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has called on Africa to join the “biofuel revolution”, saying it would help strengthen the world’s poorest economies and fight global warming.”

Rising sea levels caused by climate change is threatening Africa’s coastal infrastructure.

A group of scientists and environmentalists suggest that Africa will need more donor funding to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Compare to China and India, Africa has received much less funding.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization released a report stating that the Middle East and North Africa will experience food security threats due to climate-induced agricultural losses.

A new study from Aggreko predicts that climate change is accelerating faster than previous expectations, due in large by the growth of developing economies in Africa, Asia and South America.

Zimbabwe, like many nations, is beginning to show signs of the onset of global warming, suggesting that countries will experience the effects of climate change at different rates.

Zimbabwe: Country At Risk of Climate Change Effects

Associated Press

The United Nations environment agency unveiled a new atlas Tuesday that shows what the agency says are the dramatic effects of climate change on Africa.

Reuters Africa

Madagascar will sell nine million tons of carbon offsets in a voluntary scheme to help protect one of its biggest and most pristine forests, a conservation group said on Thursday.