The African Union Commission and the Government of Kenya will in September 2023 hold a three-day summit to form stronger partnerships among governments, private sector players and other development partners to tackle climate change challenges on the continent. The regional summit is to also create a platform that would birth ideas to address climate change challenges in Africa, including the mobilisation of financial resources and showcasing innovative solutions from countries on the continent. Under the theme ‘Africa together for bold, innovative, and resourced climate action,’ the event, which is scheduled from 4th to 6th September 2023, would also mark the beginning of the journey towards the inaugural Africa climate week. The summit will be attended by more than 10,000 delegates, including Heads of State and Government and their delegations; representatives of UN agencies and other multilateral institutions; civil society entities; and a host of other interest groups. ‘It also aims at providing a unique opportunity for stakeholders to come together to discuss, collaborate and act on climate change in Africa,’ said, Rosalinda Soipan Tuiya, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Kenya. ‘The effective application of climate prediction relies on climate information becoming appropriately integrated into different users’ policies and practices,’ she said. According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), Africa is the most vulnerable continent to climate change impacts under all climate scenarios above 1.5 degrees Celsius, with Seven of the 10 countries that are most vulnerable to climate change in Africa. The Bank noted that despite having contributed the least to global warming and having the lowest emissions, Africa faces exponential collateral damage. It said the situation poses a systemic risk to its economies, infrastructure investments, water and food systems, public health, agriculture, and livelihoods, threatening to undo its modest development gains and slip into higher levels of extreme poverty. The Bank also estimates that the continent loses $7-15 billion annually from the nefarious effects of climate change, an amount that is projected to rise to $50 billion a year by 2030. African countries, therefore, need on average $125 billion annually between 2020-2030 to adapt to climate change.
Source: Ghana News Agency