Ban Ki-moon, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, has pledged his commitment to mobilising additional resources to tackle the pressing challenges faced by the residents of Mukuru.
Embarking on a visit to Mukuru kwa Reuben, Ki-moon bore witness to the grim realities of abject poverty and the deplorable living conditions within the slums.
Amid his tour, he confronted a heavily polluted river meandering through the heart of the settlement. Additionally, he was introduced to the innovative practice of black soldier fly farming by the community's youth.
Ki-moon emphasised the global nature of climate issues, asserting that they require collective action transcending national and organisational boundaries. He pointed out that African leaders were convening in Nairobi to take essential measures to address the climate crisis.
Highlighting the urgency of addressing climate change, Ki-moon remarked, "We have only one planet Earth; there is no Planet B. Without addressing the challenges in Africa, we cannot declare that we are fostering a peaceful and sustainable world."
Ki-moon, the eighth UN Secretary-General, has consistently worked to rally world leaders around emerging global challenges such as climate change, economic instability, pandemics, and the growing pressures on food, energy, and water resources. He has also sought to amplify the voices of the world's most impoverished and vulnerable populations while strengthening the United Nations as an institution.
His tenure in office spanned from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2016, with a unanimous re-election by the General Assembly for a second term on June 21, 2011.
One of Ki-moon's early initiatives as Secretary-General was the 2007 Climate Change Summit, followed by extensive diplomatic efforts that elevated climate change to a prominent position on the global agenda. During his visit, the French Minister of Environment, Energy, and Sea, along with the Danish Minister, were in attendance.
In his capacity as the Chairman of the Global Center on Adaptation, Ki-moon underscored the need to increase resources for adaptation substantially. He stated, "Currently, we are talking about USD53 billion a year, but it should be more than UDS160 billion, and even more in the future."
Committing to his promise to support resource mobilisation, Ki-moon expressed his determination to address the challenges faced by informal settlements like Mukuru.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Global Centre on Adaptation, Patrick Verkooijen, emphasized the critical role of adaptation in the face of the climate emergency. He remarked, "We are all living in the eye of the climate emergency, but Africa is ground zero. Adapt or die is the simple reality, as articulated by the people of Mukuru."
Verkooijen also highlighted the need for significant financial support, stating, "The international community's financial flows to Africa amount to USD11 billion a year, yet the annual requirement is USD106 billion. There is a pressing need to reform the international finance architecture to channel more targeted finance to local communities."
For the people of Mukuru and other communities, access to finance is not only a matter of survival but also a means to thrive and build a more resilient future.
