(2017) 1 African Human Rights Yearbook 25 is also increased by the increased strain that flooding, natural disasters and rising sea levels place on water and sewage systems. Migration or forced displacement, while it has many causes (including war, conflicts, lack of opportunities and natural disasters) can also result from climate change, in conjunction with other causes. Indications are that the ‘total numbers of climate-related migrants by the middle of the century’ may be between 200 million to over one billion, which even at the lower side of the spectrum, constitutes a vast migration of people.5 The most obvious form of climate-induced migration or displacement is where rising sea levels claim low-lying areas, forcing people to move inland. In other cases climate change may be one of a number of factors resulting in migration, for example increased variability in rainfall in areas that are already drought prone may lead to conflict over limited resources resulting in displacement of communities. Yet in such cases climate change is still an important catalyst for the displacement and must thus be counted among its causes. Many of these effects are already present and measurable on the African continent.6 Together with other parts of the developing world, Sub-Saharan Africa is particularly prone to suffer the consequences of climate change because of its position on and close to the equator, where the most drastic changes in weather patterns are projected to take place.7 Other causes of its particular vulnerability include the high levels of poverty and under-development and high dependence on natural resources for livelihoods.8 These factors impact on the resilience of communities and make it harder to ‘bounce back’ when disaster strikes because of a lack of resources in reserve.9 It is in this context that this article argues states have an obligation to take steps to protect people against the worst consequences of climate change, through mitigation and increasing resilience through adaptation and disaster risk management. Children have specific vulnerabilities to climate change because of the direct threat that these risks pose to their survival, development and mental and physical well-being.10 Children are also reliant on adults for security and are physically, psychologically and emotionally immature, 5 International Organisation for Migration ‘Migration and climate change’ (2008) 31 Migration Research Series 11. 6 African Union ‘Draft African Union Strategy on Climate Change’ (2014) 1, 8; CDKN (n 4 above) 1, 11. 7 MIT Technology Review ‘Climate Change: Why the Tropical Poor Will Suffer Most’ 17 June 2015 at https://www.technologyreview.com/s/538586/climate-change-whythe-tropical-poor-will-suffer-most/ (accessed 12 October 2017). 8 UN Women Watch (n 4 above) 1. 9 United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) ‘Guidebook on national legislation for adaptation to climate change’ (2011) 5; ANCEN (Experts Group of African Ministerial Conference on Environment) ‘Guidebook – Addressing climate change challenges in Africa: a practical guide towards sustainable development’ (2011) 3. 10 CC Venton ‘Why we need a child-centred approach to adaptation’ in UNICEF (ed) The challenge of climate change: children on the front line (2014) 32; J Guillemot & J Burgess ‘Children rights at risk’ in The challenge of climate change: children on the front line (2014) 32; J Currie & O Deschênes ‘Children and climate change: introducing