Editor's note: With traveling to Chicago for Green Fest yesterday, we got a little behind on our post swap with Ecotality. Steve Caratzas' post was originally published on Tuesday, April 17.

Rising global temperatures due to greenhouse gases will affect the continent of Africa more than any other, and as such African governments must seek ways to adapt, urge the authors of a United Nations report. The 1,500-page report, in the works for more than five years, has been presented to policymakers charged with the power to battle the effects of catastrophic climate change.

“At least 0.6 degrees (centigrade) of global warming appears unavoidable given how much greenhouse gas has accumulated in the atmosphere,” said Guy Midgley, a chief scientist of South Africa’s National Biodiversity Institute.

“The unavoidable regional warming is closer to one degree. Adaptation is going to be necessary,” he said, during a regional briefing on the landmark Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change’s fourth assessment report.

This warning is consistent with previous ones that predicted the world’s least fortunate would be most vulnerable to the effects of global warming. Africa’s natural resources are already under significant strain, suffering from droughts, floods and famine as agriculture is ravaged by rising temperatures.

Pauline Dube, one of the report’s authors, believes the reduction of water as a viable resource represents the most pressing threat to the region.

“South Africa and Botswana experience water stress. The city of Gabarone is severely handicapped and often construction has to stop. The city has to recycle water,” said Dube, a senior lecturer in the University of Botswana’s environmental science department.