Note from Publisher
The planet's average surface temperature has risen about 2.12 degrees Fahrenheit (1.18 degrees Celsius) since the late 19th century, a change driven largely by increased carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere and other human activities. Most of the warming occurred in the past 40 years, with the seven most recent years being the warmest; and the years 2016 and 2020 are tied for the warmest year on record. Many elements of earth are reacting- from oceans heating up, to the shrinking ice sheets, and the ocean acidification, we are also witnessing glaciers retreating almost everywhere around the world — including in the Alps, Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, Alaska, and Africa.
In Africa, flooding has become the most prevalent disaster in North Africa, the second most common in East, South and Central Africa, and the third most common in West Africa. The devastating impact of climate change on the economies when the water levels of Africa’s drop as seen with the river Volta, river Niger, and even the lakes such as Lake Chad, have been important indicators for African countries to find rapid solutions. Drought is another challenge as East Africa is facing the worst food crisis in the 21st century. According to Oxfam, 12 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are in dire need of food. Moreover, climate change has direct impact on vulnerable populations, shelter, and human health in addition to the conflicts that often occur over the use of already limited natural resources, fertile ground and water.
Climate adaptation is pivotal for African countries as it will determine each countries resilience and way forward. Given African countries naisant development steps, the region is strategically positioned to create cities that integrate solutions based on climate indicators/data and invest in building sustainable infrastructure. When we created our agrifrica.com platform, we thought about the ways we can promote agriculture, energy and environment, the three sectors impacted by Climate Change. These sectors are part of the SDGs and are imperative for the #FutureofEarth. If you want to receive our Agrifrica Newsletter, subscribe at agrifrica.com. To learn about agrifrica.com contact us.
Agrifrica Digital Magazine
In this issue, you will find:
- Articles from various writers including Center of Excellence in Agriculture, which can easily be replicated in Africa.
- 5 selected books and 5 selected films on agriculture particularly on seeds.
- Interview with filmmaker Valentin Thurn.
US-Africa Engagement
Servir: Connecting Space to Village
PRESIDENT BIDEN INVITES 40 WORLD LEADERS TO LEADERS SUMMIT ON CLIMATE
President Biden invited 40 world leaders to the Leaders Summit on Climate he will host on April 22 and 23. The virtual Leaders Summit will be live streamed for public viewing. (…) theme of the summit will include but not limited to mobilizing public and private sector finance to drive the net-zero transition and to help vulnerable countries cope with climate impacts; the economic benefits of climate action, with a strong emphasis on job creation, and the importance of ensuring all communities and workers benefit from the transition to a new clean energy economy; and spurring transformational technologies that can help reduce emissions and adapt to climate change, while also creating enormous new economic opportunities and building the industries of the future. Here are the five African Presidents invited to the Leaders Summit on Climate:
- President Félix Tshisekedi, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- President Ali Bongo Ondimba, Gabon
- President Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya
- President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria
- President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa
Read more
UNITED STATES PROMOTES CLIMATE RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE WITH $9.2 MILLION COMMITMENT
Acting Administrator Gloria D. Steele announced at the International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure that the United States Government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), will award up to $9.2 million to support the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) to help foster disaster and climate resilient infrastructure pending the availability of funds and Congressional approval. Read more.
ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE RESPONSE
West Africa’s natural and human systems are at serious risk from human-caused stresses. Direct drivers of natural resource degradation - conversion of land for agriculture, industrial mining, overharvesting, trafficking of wild animal and plant species, illegal logging, urbanization, and infrastructure development - are visible on the landscapes of West Africa. To be sustainable, effective, and impactful, natural resource management interventions must address both direct and indirect drivers of degradation, including changes in policy and enabling environments that produce tangible, on-the-ground results, as well as building capacity at all levels to fight wildlife crime. Read more.
DFC ANNOUNCES NEW MEMBERS OF BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION LEADERSHIP
With a global portfolio of $33 billion, DFC is America’s newest government agency with a mandate to partner with the private sector to finance solutions to the most critical challenges facing the developing world today. Read more.
Visualizing Climate Change
5 FACTS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE
- Most of the increase in global temperatures since 1950 has been caused by human activity.
- The average temperature of the Earth is determined by the greenhouse effect.
- The United States is the 2nd largest contributor to carbon dioxide (CO2) in our atmosphere.
- Rainforest destruction is a major cause of carbon dioxide release.
- A large fraction of species face increased extinction risk due to climate change.
Interesting Articles
THE BATTLE FOR EARTH'S CLIMATE WILL BE FOUGHT IN AFRICA
Africa is both the world’s sole remaining region with a rapidly growing population, and the most rapidly urbanizing region. At the same time, it starts 2021 as the world’s least energy-consuming region per capita. (…) Sub-Saharan Africa produces, on average, only .8 tonnes of CO2 per person per year, compared to a global average of 4.8 tonnes. However, highly developed and coal-dependent South Africa produces nearly ten times that per person, while the low-population but oil-rich countries of Libya and Equatorial Guinea produce nine and five times that much, respectively. But these are the exceptions; the largest country in Africa in terms of population, Nigeria, emits below the average level (.7 tonnes per person per year), while most other countries, whether giants like Ethiopia, the DRC, and Tanzania, smaller countries like Mali and Niger, or medium sized countries like Mozambique, all currently have CO2 output that is almost negligible, at .1 to .3 tonnes per person. For comparison, per capita CO2 emissions in the United States are 16.2 tonnes. Read more
HOW IS CLIMATE CHANGE DRIVING CONFLICT IN AFRICA?
Climate change is widely recognized as a "threat multiplier" due to its role of exacerbating the traditional cause of conflict. The most egregious form is the way changes in climate alter competition over increasingly scarce resources. Research on the so-called 'heat--aggression relationship' suggests there is a 10- 20% increase in the risk of armed conflict associated with each 0.5°C increase in local temperatures. (…) Africa, a continent that contributes merely 2% of the earth's growing carbon emissions, bares the full force of the consequences of global warming; none more so than in climate-fuelled armed violence. Read more
AFRICAN CITIES MUST PREPARE FOR CLIMATE MIGRATION
Africa has over 47 000 km of coastline and 38 of its 55 countries are coastal and island states. Fishing employs more than 12 million people and provides food security for over 200 million. (…) Rapid growth, poor infrastructure, limited vegetation and high concentrations of people make cities vulnerable to climate change hazards. Low-income populations are particularly at risk as they often live in high-risk areas and have limited means to recover. In many of the most affected regions, cities are unprepared. They lack adequate housing, infrastructure, education, food, water and health facilities to adapt to rapid population growth. Read more
STATE OF THE CLIMATE IN AFRICA
Africa has made great efforts in driving the global climate agenda. This is demonstrated by the very high levels of ratification of the Paris Agreement – over 90% – and the extraordinary approval of the goals of the agreement by African countries. Many African nations have committed to transitioning to green energy within a relatively short time frame. Clean energy and agriculture are, for example, prioritized in over 70% of African NDCs. This ambition needs to be an integral part of setting the economic development priorities of the continent. Climate action and economy transition should be envisioned as investment and enterprise opportunities and accelerators of socioeconomic growth in cognizance of the fact that Africa is disproportionately vulnerable to climate change due to its very low socioeconomic base while being a negligible CO2 emitter. Read more
NEWLY SEEDED WITH 16 BILLION AFRICA'S GREAT GREEN WALL TO SEE QUICKER GROWTH
The Great Green Wall for the Sahel and the Sahara Initiative, which seeks to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land and create 10 million green jobs by 2030, has entered a new phase with partners pledging USD 16.85 billion in international finance for the Wall’s 11 involved countries over the next five years. To date, 4 percent of the Wall is estimated to be complete, bumped to 18 percent when taking into account associated improvements outside the direct intervention areas. (…)The more than USD 5 billion in financing from the World Bank – some of which is already committed to ongoing projects – will support issues such as agricultural productivity, resilient infrastructure, financial inclusion, rural mobility and access to renewable energy in the dry lands of the Sahel, Lake Chad and Horn of Africa. The funding will go toward 60 projects that range from community climate action in Burkina Faso to youth skill development in Chad, agriculture and livestock in Mauritania, water security in Niger and electricity in Ethiopia. Read more
POTENTIAL FOR GREEN BANKS & NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE FUNDS IN AFRICA
(…)“Green Investment Banks” and National Climate Change Funds (NCCFs) to increase the capacity of African countries to access and mobilize climate finance in support of implementing NDCs and related national climate and development goals. (…)Green Banks are designed to address market gaps and strengthen national ownership of climate finance. Green Banks move problem solving and agency to the national level, empowering developing countries to better access international financial resources while attracting private capital to green projects from foreign and domestic sources. (…) To date, the founding members of the Green Bank Network have leveraged $24 billion in public capital to finance more than $70 billion in clean energy projects. This investment has flowed into a range of clean energy technologies including solar, offshore wind, and building efficiency, which have resulted in 25 million tonnes of avoided CO 2 emissions annually. Read more
What Could Happen?
Published in 2016, though still very relevant
Fun Facts
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The history of the scientific discovery of climate change began in the early 19th century when ice ages and other natural changes in paleoclimate were first suspected and the natural greenhouse effect was first identified. It had been known since 1960 that humans were increasing the amount of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Fast forward to 2007, and NASA had 17 space missions collecting climate data. Today, it runs programs to obtain and convert data from Defense Department and NOAA satellites as well as from certain European, Japanese and Russian satellites.
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In 1979: First World Climate Conference adopts climate change as major issue and calls on governments “to foresee and prevent potential man-made changes in climate.” In 1992: Climate Change Convention, signed by 154 nations in Rio, agrees to prevent “dangerous” warming from greenhouse gases and sets initial target of reducing emissions from industrialized countries to 1990 levels by the year 2000. In 1997: Kyoto Protocol agrees legally binding emissions cuts for industrialized nations, averaging 5.4%, to be met by 2010. The meeting also adopts a series of flexibility measures, allowing countries to meet their targets partly by trading emissions permits, establishing carbon sinks such as forests to soak up emissions, and by investing in other countries.
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