Researchers say climate change could have significant effects on the flow of water in Africa's major river basins, and agriculture strategies should be reassessed to account for potential variations.

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research said Monday that projected changes during the next few decades in southern Africa's Limpopo River basin are “particularly alarming.”

The global network of scientists and researchers said rising temperatures and declining rainfall could both hamper food production and worsen poverty.

Researchers say climate change could also bring political challenges to the Nile River basin, where a group of nine countries has joined an initiative to share resources.

The findings are the result of a five-year study being presented this week at a conference in Tshwane, South Africa.

The group also says climate change could alter weather patterns, making once-stable areas shift to wet and dry periods.