Climate Change and Africa

This December world leaders will be meeting in Copenhagen for an important climate change summit.; Africa has contributed least with only 3.6% of global C02-emissions coming from the African continent. Despite this, the continent is feeling the ramifications of climate change first and worst. Some examples include severe floods in Zambia and Mozambique, a shift in rain patterns in Uganda, and huge areas of land experiencing longer and more intensive periods of drought across the continent. These are arguably only the first signs with worse to come. According to the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), by 2020 some regions could see crop yields from rain-fed agriculture fall by nearly 50% and 75 - 250 million people additionally could be affected by lack of water.

It is not enough to just minimize the number of people further impoverished by climate change. The international community needs to find ways to help African societies preserve the gains made in the past several years. The affected communities will also need significant resources to adapt to these challenges, and these funds will have to be generated primarily in those countries that are responsible for the lion share of greenhouse gas emissions: the industrialized countries.

The good news is that Africa can contribute to a global solution that avoids an irreversible change in climate: Its vast tropical rain forests sequester bind C02, thereby lowering the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Programmes for sustainable farming and forestry can preserve and expand these natural "carbon sinks". And the continent offers vast, untapped potential to deliver green energy: The surface of 0.3 % of the Sahara is sufficient to produce enough solar-thermal energy for the EU, North-Africa and the near East together. In addition, many African countries have excellent preconditions for either hydro-power or geo-thermal power or both.

Between now and December 2009 negotiators from virtually all countries of the world will meet in several negotiation marathon sessions to agree on a strong global climate regime. And the attention of not only civil society, but also the private sector is focused on these climate talks. The ultimate solution has to combine two aspects: preventing irreversible climate change and furthering the fight against poverty.  Societies with good health systems, a productive agricultural sector, and a solid infrastructure are better prepared to cope with the consequences of climate change, but the impacts are still unknown and cannot be quantified.

"Climate-proofing" development efforts in African countries will require billions of dollars, and raising these funds will require innovative mechanisms. There are many proposals on the table for the climate negotiators. Public pressure on these negotiations will be extremely important in providing innovative financing mechanisms that will deliver needed development assistance.