African countries converge in Nairobi, Kenya, on 4th – 8th September for the African Climate Summit and African Climate Week. The inaugural Africa Climate Summit and the Climate Week are part of a series of events to build momentum ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The crucial forum comes at a crucial moment in history when the impact of climate change is being felt world over. For example, East African countries experienced the worst drought in 40 years, while extreme heatwaves were recorded in North America. According to the World Meteorological Organization, Europe recorded the highest temperatures ever for at least 120,000 years.
In 2023, Africa witnessed extreme drought in some countries across the continent, as well as one of the most intense cyclone Freddy, which devastated Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. According to climate experts, these extreme weather conditions are bound to increase in future. The latest report by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows that the world is off track in meeting the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5⁰C. On the other hand, Africa as many other developing regions is on the frontline of the climate crisis, bearing the brunt of climate change though contributing least to it.
Though Africa generates less than 3% of emissions, the rapidly increasing climate shocks are bound to hit the continent and its people the hardest. Statistics indicate that Africa loses up to 15% of its potential GDP to climate-related risks. It is estimated that by 2100, this could rise to as much as 64%. Thus, the Africa Climate Summit provides an African moment to showcase some of the sustainable practices that can help mitigate the effects of climate change. One of the most effective approaches is the use of Nature based solutions (NbS) – actions to restore, conserve and protect natural ecosystems to build resilience, improve human well-being and sustain biodiversity. Underpinning Nature based Solutions is the restoration and conservation of ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, and grasslands as part of the solution for climate change mitigation and adaptation.
According to the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), NbS can provide up to 37% of climate mitigation and adaptation needed until 2030, which would help achieve the Paris Agreement targets. BirdLife International, has been at the fore front of implementing NbS. In the Great Lakes Region in Rwanda and Burundi, BirdLife, working with local communities has implemented a climate resilience programme on landscape restoration by planting more than 1.2 million trees, in addition to improving the livelihoods of more than 4000 households. This programme is now being scaled up with support from TerraFund for AFR100, the Africa Restoration initiative seeking to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land across Africa. Further in the Sahel, BirdLife is involved in the Great Green Wall Initiative under the aegis of the African Union. The Great Green Wall aims at restoring 8000 km of land in more than 20 countries from Senegal’s Atlantic coast to the east cost of Djibouti.
Another key cog in the climate change sector is the shift to abundant renewable resources that could transform the energy sector. Africa is home to abundant renewable energy including solar and wind energy, with the right technologies, the continent can shift away from fossil fuels to clean energy, thereby aiding in the fighting against climate change. Further, it is important to ensure that these energy developments do not harm nature, particularly wildlife and birds. BirdLife International has developed the Avian Sensitivity Tool for Energy Planning (AVISTEP) which is being rolled out in Africa and elsewhere. AVISTEP helps investors and decision makers identify where renewable energy infrastructure could be rolled out without killing birds, thus making sustainable choices for energy and nature.
Financing is another key issue that will feature prominently at the Africa Climate Summit. Scaling up support for developing countries to adapt to the impacts of climate change is critical. It will be recalled that developed countries have not met the $100 billion financing pledge by 2020. Countries also need to agree on a roadmap for doubling adaptation finance, an issue that has eluded previous climate discussions. The Africa Climate Summit can help move the needle on this matter ahead of COP28. Notably, countries agreed on the creation of a Loss and Damage Fund at COP27 to help most vulnerable countries deal with the impacts of climate change, such as sea level rise, extreme weather events, and desertification. It is urgent that African leaders push for the operationalization of this fund while in Nairobi.
As the clock ticks towards COP28 and as African leaders, grassroots and civil society organisations meet in Nairobi, they must push for a transformative shift – a move from words to action – as the only viable route to resolving the climate crisis.
Image Credit: Markus Spiske on Unsplash
