In November, the world will descend upon Egypt for the UN Climate Change Conference or COP27 - it’ll be the fifth time an African country will host the landmark international conference. Before that, UN Climate Change will host its final regional climate week of 2022 in Gabon, located on the west coast of Africa.
Africa Climate Week, which runs from 29 August to 2 September, will look at the ambitions, innovations and partnerships that are driving climate action in Africa. It will explore the possibilities of transformative change, and showcase solutions and lessons learned - on a continent that is considered one of the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
Scientists have long noted that countries in Africa have contributed the least to greenhouse gas emissions, yet climate change threatens to expose up to 118 million of the poorest Africans to droughts, floods and extreme heat by 2030. Today, the continent has already experienced widespread losses and damages due to climate change, says the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), including loss of lives and biodiversity, water shortages, and reduced food production and economic growth.
Despite these challenges, Africa holds the best solutions for moving the world towards a secure climate-resilient future, say experts at the UN Development Programme. The continent has the world’s youngest population, the largest amount of arable land, the greatest potential for restoration, and is home to a quarter of all wildlife - critical opportunities for restoring the health of our planet.
Africa: Climate Action
‘Not without us’: Africa’s youth in the race for climate action
Keenly aware of the consequences of climate change for themselves, their communities and future generations, young people across Africa are stepping up and speaking out. Let’s travel around Africa to see how young people are influencing policies as well as mobilizing at the ground level to educate their communities, shift attitudes and change practices.
Guardians of vanishing ecosystems: Indigenous leaders call for greater inclusivity
Africa is home to more than 14 million indigenous peoples and many of them continue to fight for recognition in their countries and internationally. As the world mulls over the post-2020 global biodiversity framework agreement, which is expected to be adopted at the end of 2022, indigenous leaders are fighting to make sure their people’s rights are included in efforts to protect at least 30 per cent of the world’s land and ocean by 2030 under the framework.
Empowering women to boost Africa’s water security
For most of us, accessing water means turning on a tap. Yet, for millions of Africans, particularly women, the question of finding enough water to drink, bathe and grow food looms large at the start of each day, says Caroline Mwongera from the Alliance of Biodiversity International and the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture. Nearly 90 per cent of homesteads in the rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa have no access to piped water. Read more about why ensuring women’s participation in decisions relating to water management improves the health and wellbeing of families and communities, especially as climate change continues to affect water sources.
Zambia: Racing to find alternatives to logging
The lush eastern African country of Zambia struggles with deforestation and land degradation - practices and conditions that have altered 75 per cent of the Earth’s surface, says the UN Environment Programme. But Zambian communities that rely on the services that nature provides are determined to protect the forests and its biodiversity. The economic opportunities presented by restoring degraded land are enormous, amounting to between US$4.3 trillion and US$20.2 trillion annually through the provision of ecosystem services from restored land alone.
Malawi: Young farmers lead land restoration
Today, between 20 to 40 per cent of the planet’s land has suffered some form of degradation. The degradation affects croplands, drylands, wetlands, forests and grasslands, eventually leading to loss of livelihoods and food insecurity. Find out how a young farmer in Malawi is learning to restore his land and adapt to climate change to better care for his family and community.
Tanzania: Ocean more turbulent than decades ago
Climate change has already led to increased temperatures and rising sea-levels in Tanzania and without major investments in adaptation, nearly a million Tanzanians in coastal towns are at risk of exposure to floods caused by rising sea-levels between 2070 and 2100, says the UN Environment Programme. Tanzanian fishermen are bearing most of the brunt of the myriad of issues brought upon by climate change and unsustainable fishing - coastal erosion, destruction of coral reefs and loss of marine biodiversity - but key legislations are being put in place to protect the country’s ocean.
Kenya: With mangrove conservation, coastal communities plant seeds for sustainable ‘blue growth’
The southern ocean border of Kenya and Tanzania is dotted with thick hedges of mangroves – indispensable carbon sinks and spectacular ecosystems teeming with life – that appear to float dreamlike over creek beds and mudflats. These hardy trees and shrubs, and the communities that depend on them, are getting a major boost from restoration plans - including a groundbreaking initiative to trade carbon credits from mangrove conservation and restoration - that are also helping to reduce poverty and build economic resilience.
African cities turn to ‘green’ buses in fight against pollution
As rush hour dawns in Dar es Salaam, brightly coloured bajaji – or gas-powered rickshaws – deftly squeeze through gaps between packed minibus taxis, known as dala dala, catering to nearly half of the Tanzanian city’s 6.4 million residents, emitting trails of soot that pose serious health risks to commuters and city dwellers. Look at how African cities like Dar es Salaam can decarbonize their transport sector and transition to cleaner buses, reducing environmental damage and risks to human health while delivering a more reliable and speedy transport system to their growing urban populations.
Western Africa: A push for eco-friendly appliances
New initiatives to help make energy efficient fridges and air conditioners affordable to consumers is seeing a wave of Ghanaians and Senegalese buying more environmentally friendly cooling appliances. According to the UN Environment Programme and the International Energy Agency, combining energy efficiency improvements and transitioning away from super-polluting refrigerants could significantly cut down greenhouse gas emission. What’s more? Those buying new appliances can trade in their old refrigerator or air conditioner for a voucher that is valid for future purchases of more energy efficient products.
Giving textiles a second life
Every year, US$460 billion worth of clothes that can still be worn are discarded. Not only is that a waste of material, experts say, it’s also needlessly contributing to the climate crisis because the textile sector accounts for up to 8 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Learn how Africa Collect Textiles, a Kenyan start-up, is upcycling textile waste into rugs, toys, yarn and other products that can be re-introduced to the market - ultimately reducing the impact of pollution and improving human and environmental health.
