African countries have some of the lowest global warming emissions on Earth, yet they suffer from some of the worst consequences of climate change. Drought, famine and desertification are just some of the problems already apparent. With agriculture the most important sector in many African economies, the ramifications of climate change are crucial to the very survival of the continent and its people.

The 2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference will be held in Durban, South Africa this November. In light of the upcoming event, ChinAfrica has asked four African young people to voice their thoughts on climate change, how it affects not only the lives of people around them but their own futures as well.

Their edited opinions follow:

Juliette Zelime, Seychelles

A research officer at the Seychelles Natural History Museum, Ministry of Culture 

In Seychelles, climate change has been affecting us for quite a while now, from coral bleaching to coastal erosions that started to affect smaller living things like fish and coral. We humans haven't really felt its impact until recently. We are now experiencing longer dry seasons, which affect the amount of rainfall, and we face longer drought periods. Years before, we could maintain and adapt to the drought, but this is no longer the case. It's more of a frustration for the population. As our country becomes more developed there is a need for more food and water usage. One of our country's main aims is the protection of our environment. Seychelles has the highest percentage of land set aside for nature reserves in the world. With fisheries and tourism as two main pillars of our economy, it is of great importance to keep our environment healthy to keep these pillars secure. We have joined in the fight to make our voices heard together with bigger countries in the battle against global warming. Action needs to be taken. More work needs to be done, if we want to keep our planet alive.

As a young artist, I fear that in the future we Seychellois artists will only be able to illustrate the beauty of our country through painting. It is sad that the younger generations growing up might not be as lucky to see and appreciate, to feel and be inspired by the natural environment that surrounds our islands.

Latoye Idowu, Nigeria

Undergraduate student majoring in Electronic Information Engineering at Beihang University

Climate change has become a new reality for many Nigerians. Seasonal cycles, ecosystems, agriculture, water needs and supply as well as food production are all adversely affected. Consequences for the Nigerian people are vast, ranging from desertification in the north to costal erosion in the south. In the northern states, for example, the continuous practice of overgrazing and abuse of woodland for fuels, when combined with increasingly unreliable rainfall, results in the Sahara advancing at a rapid rate of about 600 meters per annum. If this continues, over 55 million people in the country's 10 northern states could be affected.

As far as I know, it's only been recently that the government has started taking issues of climate change seriously. At the moment, the government, through projects such as the "Carbon Credit Awareness Campaign," is trying to create awareness in the general public. Its aim is to educate about the effects, benefits and possible adaptations to climate change. I don't know what effect climate change will have on my future. The reality is that actions toward our environment are taken by us. Our governments and the people around us today will play a major role in determining how climate change will affect our future and the future of the world.

Ana Margarida Carvalho, Cape Verde

Postgraduate student majoring in Special Education at Beijing Normal University 

There are several ways how climate change affects the lives of people, through decreasing precipitation, reduction of water, desertification or increasing bad water quality, heat waves, and sustained disease.

When it comes to decreased precipitation, the "solution" my family has arrived at is less than ideal. They buy water from car-cisterns, which is in many cases mixed with saltwater from the sea. This weakens soil to a point of complete damage (and desertification), and impacts what can be grown. It also inevitably pushes people to migrate.

 Not enough is being done by governments, although some are doing better than others. In my country, a Chinese-built barrage has been constructed on one of our islands.Thinking about how climate change may affect my future, my first thought goes to the economic and demographic vulnerability that results from people migrating. The migration of people, increased by irregular and/or diminished rainfall, will affect jobs, rent costs, the price of consumer goods and so forth. These issues surrounding rain will affect agriculture in particular, which is a means of subsistence for many of the families I know.

Saye Vah, Liberia

Postgraduate student majoring in International Relations at China Foreign Affairs University

In Liberia, the rainy season begins later each year and lasts for a shorter period of time. This creates water shortages during the dry season in prime agriculture areas such as Lofa and Nimba County where my family lives.Over the years, my country's government has set up programs to see how the problem of climate change can be curtailed. We have a lot of NGOs working on climate change-related issues in Liberia. But a lot of work needs to be done – especially in the area of education – if climate change is to be reduced.

The future is uncertain and sometimes difficult to predict. Constant drought, flooding, and other environmental issues will harm agricultures which will subsequently lead to food shortages, water supply shortages, health related diseases, hunger and so forth. Climate change requires collective effort if the earth is to become a better place in which to live. Governments should put in enough resources to fight climate change for the benefit of both present and future generations.