Climate change is likely to exacerbate the dry conditions already experienced in Southern Africa. And when rainfall does come, it is likely to be in bursts of greater intensity leading to erosion and flood damage. But these predictions gain little policy traction in Southern African countries. Research in Namibia suggests that over 20 years, annual loses to the Namibian economy could be up to 6 per cent of GDP due to the impact that climate change will have on its natural resources alone. This will affect the poor most, with resulting constraints on employment opportunities and declining wages, especially for unskilled labour. Namibia must take steps to ensure that all its policies and activities are 'climate proofed' and that it has a strategy to deal with displaced farmers and farmworkers. The need to mainstream climate change into policies and planning is clear, and it is the responsibility of industrialised nations, who have largely created the problem of climate change, to help Namibia and other vulnerable countries cope with climate change impacts and plan for a climate constrained future.