he World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Africa 2020 report shows increasing climate change threats for human, health, food, and water security and socio-economic development in Africa.
In 2020 flooding was particularly extensive across many parts of East Africa, with the Sudan and Kenya the worst affected. At the same time, long-term drought continued to persist in parts of Southern Africa, particularly the Northern and Eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa. Tropical Cyclone Gati, originating from the Bay of Bengal, became the strongest storm ever to hit Somalia.
Last year, approximately 98 million people suffered from acute food insecurity and needed humanitarian assistance in Africa, almost a 40% increase from 2019. Approximately 12% of all new displacements worldwide occurred in the East and Horn of Africa regions, with over 1.2 million new disaster-related displacements.
The negative effects of climate change in Africa have become so severe that they cannot be left to individual countries to address. A collaborative approach is what the continent needs. In Africa, there is a pressing need to mobilize resources to address the continent’s current limitations to deal with climate events, as well as resources to deal with future climate change.
At the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP26) and beyond, Africa must continue to push that the continent be put at the heart of the global climate agenda.
“We will maintain that COP26 will succeed only if Africa is at the heart of the negotiations. In fact, under the UNFCCC, putting Africa at the heart of the global climate agenda is a binding obligation,” says Tanguy Gahouma-Bekale, Chair of the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change.
“Based on the commitments and obligations under Article 4 of the UNFCCC, developed countries must mobilize and provide adequate climate finance resources and transfer environmentally sound technologies to African countries,” says Bekale. “Africa is eager to partner with developed countries to ensure an ambitious outcome at COP26. We cannot afford to fail.”
Indeed, Africa’s situation deserves extraordinary attention: the continent contributes just 4 percent of global total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—the lowest of any region—yet its socio-economic development is threatened by the climate crisis. In other words, Africa contributes the least emissions but suffers the brunt of the consequences.
The COP26 President Designate, the Rt Hon Alok Sharma, MP says he’s acutely aware of the pivotal role that African states play in tackling climate change.
“African states have been unwavering champions for ambitious climate action, at home and internationally. Indeed, African nations are already seeing first-hand the impact of climate change, despite being the continent least responsible for global emissions. That is why, as the President of COP26, a focus on ambition, adaptation, and resilience is at the heart of the United Kingdom approach. We are also encouraging all countries to bring forward ambitious nationally determined contributions and set zero targets as we strive to keep temperature rise below 1.5 degrees,” says Sharma.
“Climate finance must be central to our climate efforts, so that we deliver for those at the frontline of climate change. The United Kingdom is doubling its contribution to International Climate Finance to 11.6 billion pounds over the next five years. Furthermore, the United Kingdom presidency has reaffirmed its commitment to the collective developed country climate finance goal to jointly mobilize USD $100 billion annually from 2020-2025. Meeting this commitment is crucial not only for Africa but for the world.”
Today, climate change is wreaking havoc on economies, lives, and livelihoods in Africa. Last year, tropical cyclone Idai and Kenneth swept under the economies of Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe with USD $2 billion in losses. Eight hundred people died.
Just four years ago, El Niño devastated East and Southern Africa with severe droughts. It is estimated that this year Africa will lose USD $7 billion to $15 billion per year due to climate change.
As one of the world’s most vulnerable regions to climate change, Africa must strategically engage in securing a mutually beneficial deal with the rest of the world that will deliver the much-needed support to enable its people adapt to the negative effects of climate change.
Speaking at the launch of the Global Center on Adaptation – Africa, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group, asked for collaboration, to build a more climate resilient Africa.
“Unless Africa accesses and obtains substantial funding for renewable energy, deforestation for fuelwood will severely and irreversibly destroy the environment. The Great Green Wall of the Sahel risks becoming a wall of fuelwood for charcoal.” said Adesina. “That is why the Bank has launched the Desert to Power initiative to develop the world’s largest solar power zone in the Sahel. This will provide power for 250 million people.”
“Let us together mobilize the USD $7-15 billion a year that Africa urgently needs for climate adaptation. Africa has been short-changed by climate change. Now, Africa should not be short-changed by climate finance,” appealed Adesina
By creating the globally largest free trade area this year, the continent has shown that it has zeal and capacity to unite for common good. Such partnership can incorporate additional measures, for instance, to reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses by embracing modern techniques of moving goods across the borders.
However, success of such initiatives will require a well-coordinated strategy to pull together the enormous amount of resources needed. The African Development Bank (AfDB) puts a rough estimate of between USD $20-30 billion that will be required per year for climate change adaptation in Africa until 2030.
If well organized, the continent can significantly benefit from the initiatives being canvassed globally to mitigate effects of climate change.
There is also the Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at COP21 in Paris, on 12 December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016. The Paris Agreement requires developed countries to provide financial resources to assist developing countries regarding both mitigation and adaptation measures.
Most of the continent’s states have weak economies that have failed in prioritizing issues related to climate change in their budgetary allocation, making it today’s the biggest threat to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director General of World Trade Organization, is calling for collaboration with Africa as the only way to avoid catastrophe.
“African leaders cannot do this alone. And nor should they. Whether driven by opportunism or a sense of moral justice, the world’s developed and emerging economies must take action at home and help Africa deliver the investments that will bring the goals of the Paris Agreement within reach,” says Okonjo-Iweala.
“If fairness was the only goal, the impetus to act would lie solely with developed economies. Make no mistake, the big emitters absolutely must step up their domestic climate action, and quickly. But building the new climate economy is also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that every African nation should prioritize and claim a stake in,” adds Okonjo-Iweala.
a global affairs media network
What Africa Needs to Win the Climate War
Photo via Pixabay.
November 3, 2021
Africa contributes the least emissions but suffers the brunt of the consequences, contributing just 4 percent of global total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—the lowest of any region—yet its socio-economic development is threatened by the climate crisis.
T
he World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Africa 2020 report shows increasing climate change threats for human, health, food, and water security and socio-economic development in Africa.
In 2020 flooding was particularly extensive across many parts of East Africa, with the Sudan and Kenya the worst affected. At the same time, long-term drought continued to persist in parts of Southern Africa, particularly the Northern and Eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa. Tropical Cyclone Gati, originating from the Bay of Bengal, became the strongest storm ever to hit Somalia.
Last year, approximately 98 million people suffered from acute food insecurity and needed humanitarian assistance in Africa, almost a 40% increase from 2019. Approximately 12% of all new displacements worldwide occurred in the East and Horn of Africa regions, with over 1.2 million new disaster-related displacements.
The negative effects of climate change in Africa have become so severe that they cannot be left to individual countries to address. A collaborative approach is what the continent needs. In Africa, there is a pressing need to mobilize resources to address the continent’s current limitations to deal with climate events, as well as resources to deal with future climate change.
At the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP26) and beyond, Africa must continue to push that the continent be put at the heart of the global climate agenda.
“We will maintain that COP26 will succeed only if Africa is at the heart of the negotiations. In fact, under the UNFCCC, putting Africa at the heart of the global climate agenda is a binding obligation,” says Tanguy Gahouma-Bekale, Chair of the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change.
“Based on the commitments and obligations under Article 4 of the UNFCCC, developed countries must mobilize and provide adequate climate finance resources and transfer environmentally sound technologies to African countries,” says Bekale. “Africa is eager to partner with developed countries to ensure an ambitious outcome at COP26. We cannot afford to fail.”
Indeed, Africa’s situation deserves extraordinary attention: the continent contributes just 4 percent of global total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—the lowest of any region—yet its socio-economic development is threatened by the climate crisis. In other words, Africa contributes the least emissions but suffers the brunt of the consequences.
The COP26 President Designate, the Rt Hon Alok Sharma, MP says he’s acutely aware of the pivotal role that African states play in tackling climate change.
“African states have been unwavering champions for ambitious climate action, at home and internationally. Indeed, African nations are already seeing first-hand the impact of climate change, despite being the continent least responsible for global emissions. That is why, as the President of COP26, a focus on ambition, adaptation, and resilience is at the heart of the United Kingdom approach. We are also encouraging all countries to bring forward ambitious nationally determined contributions and set zero targets as we strive to keep temperature rise below 1.5 degrees,” says Sharma.
“Climate finance must be central to our climate efforts, so that we deliver for those at the frontline of climate change. The United Kingdom is doubling its contribution to International Climate Finance to 11.6 billion pounds over the next five years. Furthermore, the United Kingdom presidency has reaffirmed its commitment to the collective developed country climate finance goal to jointly mobilize USD $100 billion annually from 2020-2025. Meeting this commitment is crucial not only for Africa but for the world.”
Today, climate change is wreaking havoc on economies, lives, and livelihoods in Africa. Last year, tropical cyclone Idai and Kenneth swept under the economies of Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe with USD $2 billion in losses. Eight hundred people died.
Just four years ago, El Niño devastated East and Southern Africa with severe droughts. It is estimated that this year Africa will lose USD $7 billion to $15 billion per year due to climate change.
As one of the world’s most vulnerable regions to climate change, Africa must strategically engage in securing a mutually beneficial deal with the rest of the world that will deliver the much-needed support to enable its people adapt to the negative effects of climate change.
Speaking at the launch of the Global Center on Adaptation – Africa, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group, asked for collaboration, to build a more climate resilient Africa.
“Unless Africa accesses and obtains substantial funding for renewable energy, deforestation for fuelwood will severely and irreversibly destroy the environment. The Great Green Wall of the Sahel risks becoming a wall of fuelwood for charcoal.” said Adesina. “That is why the Bank has launched the Desert to Power initiative to develop the world’s largest solar power zone in the Sahel. This will provide power for 250 million people.”
“Let us together mobilize the USD $7-15 billion a year that Africa urgently needs for climate adaptation. Africa has been short-changed by climate change. Now, Africa should not be short-changed by climate finance,” appealed Adesina
By creating the globally largest free trade area this year, the continent has shown that it has zeal and capacity to unite for common good. Such partnership can incorporate additional measures, for instance, to reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses by embracing modern techniques of moving goods across the borders.
However, success of such initiatives will require a well-coordinated strategy to pull together the enormous amount of resources needed. The African Development Bank (AfDB) puts a rough estimate of between USD $20-30 billion that will be required per year for climate change adaptation in Africa until 2030.
If well organized, the continent can significantly benefit from the initiatives being canvassed globally to mitigate effects of climate change.
There is also the Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at COP21 in Paris, on 12 December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016. The Paris Agreement requires developed countries to provide financial resources to assist developing countries regarding both mitigation and adaptation measures.
Most of the continent’s states have weak economies that have failed in prioritizing issues related to climate change in their budgetary allocation, making it today’s the biggest threat to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director General of World Trade Organization, is calling for collaboration with Africa as the only way to avoid catastrophe.
“African leaders cannot do this alone. And nor should they. Whether driven by opportunism or a sense of moral justice, the world’s developed and emerging economies must take action at home and help Africa deliver the investments that will bring the goals of the Paris Agreement within reach,” says Okonjo-Iweala.
“If fairness was the only goal, the impetus to act would lie solely with developed economies. Make no mistake, the big emitters absolutely must step up their domestic climate action, and quickly. But building the new climate economy is also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that every African nation should prioritize and claim a stake in,” adds Okonjo-Iweala.
