Africa's climate burden is also an opportunity

Tomatoes in one of the greenhouse at the Kenya Seed exhibition stand on June 17, 2024. [Kipsang, Joseph, Standard]

Africa faces numerous problems occasioned by the climate crisis. And it is fine to repeat the near-cliché that the continent has contributed the least to the problem but suffers some of the worst effects of climate change, such as unpredictable weather that dents food security, agriculture, productivity, economy and other pillars.

These effects stagnate the continent’s economic growth, as nearly 3 per cent of its GDP is spent on mitigation, with a likelihood of this doubling by 2030, according to government sources.

However, while we demand reparation from polluting countries, the opportunity to be more diligent with the resources at hand and maintain focus on development, society and the environment’s well-being stands. It lies in strategic management of the continent’s resources such as natural ecosystems, and renewable energy sources, besides prudent financial stewardship and better use of human capital for resilience.

Some of the fastest growing economies, aiming to be middle-income states, are in Africa and must consider climate action strategies for sustainability, which necessitates investing in untapped renewable energy sources.

According to Powershift Africa’s Mohammed Adow, at least 80 per cent of Kenya’s electricity comes from renewable sources, including the Lake Turkana Wind Power Project. The International Renewable Energy Agency says Africa can produce at least 310 GigaWatts from solar energy alone by 2030, about 10 times its current capacity.

The African Development Bank and International Energy Agency say only up to 6 per cent of the continent’s 350 GigaWatts of hydropower is harvested, with enormous wind, geothermal, and other sources lying idle. At the same time, up to 600 million people in Africa lack electricity, hence missing out on health care, information, knowledge, digital inclusivity, job opportunities, and a lot more.

In agriculture, efforts to forestall crop failure and food insecurity have led farmers to climate-smart agriculture involving drought-resistant crops. However, to reduce the cost of production, some use fertilisers and weed using pesticides. In our rural homes are such signature pesticides, some of which have been banned in their countries of origin. Due to a lack of knowledge, our people continue to use them and damage the biodiversity in the farms, besides messing up the soils. The pesticide chemicals are eventually washed into rivers.

There is the good side, of farmers in some drought-prone areas that harvest rainwater and integrate agroforestry, to improve agricultural productivity. Because of the knowledge they have acquired, they now conserve biodiversity and enhance soil health, at least according to experts at the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa.

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Nations have action plans to tackle climate change. Kenya’s Climate Change Act of 2016, for instance, emphasizes climate finance, disaster risk management, and public participation. In the country’s revised (2020) Nationally Determined Contributions is a commitment to reduce GHG emissions by 32 per cent (from the earlier set 30 per cent), as of 2030. Kenya created a National Climate Change Council to promote well-coordinated actions, amid controversy. Other African countries have theirs. However, the onus is on the few who know what should be done to enlighten the public and encourage people-led action. It means demanding to take part in policy formulation and implementation so that these issues do not remain only on paper or for politicians. It means demanding accountability from leaders, and playing small and big roles, even if just to discourage improper farming methods or inefficiency.

Besides the other efforts at the global pedestal, the achievement of the 17 SDGs also lies in public participation and the push for accountability locally. How else would we prevent problems such as energy poverty that have been worsened by corruption and inaction by local leaders?

The writer champions climate justice. [email protected]