ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Despite its limited contribution to climate change, the African continent is significantly affected by global warming, which ultimately threatens the continent's socio-economic development, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) has warned.

Figures from the UNECA show that currently, 17 out of the 20 countries most threatened by climate change are located in Africa, and climate change already impacts 2 to 9 percent of national budgets across the continent.

The UNECA said in a statement issued on Thursday that due to climate change-related challenges, African countries have to redirect a growing portion of their public finances toward mitigation efforts and the protection of their populations.

It said the situation deprived countries of resources needed to finance development, safeguard development gains, and implement the Sustainable Development Goals.

According to the UNECA, climate change-related constraints underscore Africa's crucial need to develop innovative growth models capable of preserving and enhancing the well-being of their populations while adapting to climate change and contributing to its slowdown.

The UNECA Offices for North and West Africa convened an expert group meeting held under the theme "Transition to Renewable Resources for Energy and Food Security in North and West Africa" on Wednesday in the Ghanian capital of Accra.

"Food insecurity is unfortunately a structural challenge in Africa, affecting 20 percent of the continent's population compared to the global rate of 9.8 percent," a UNECA statement quoted Ngone Diop, director of the UNECA office for West Africa, as saying during the meeting.

Diop emphasized increasing agricultural and cereal productivity, mobilizing more domestic resources, and expediting the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, which serves as the continent's cornerstone for poverty reduction and the acceleration of structural transformation.

Experts, researchers, development practitioners, and representatives from 22 North and West African countries attended the meeting and discussed critical issues.

The issues include the impact of climate change and its implications for economic and social development strategies, as well as energy security and climate change challenges, with particular emphasis on the pivotal role of renewable energy in meeting the needs of the population.