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De Aar wind turbines, supported by China’s Longyuan Power (South Africa) and its South African counterparts in De Aar. De Aar is a wind power project. /Xinhua
De Aar wind turbines, supported by China’s Longyuan Power (South Africa) and its South African counterparts in De Aar. De Aar is a wind power project. /Xinhua
Editor’s note: Martin Muchangi is a program manager at Amref Health Africa. The author’s views are those of the author and not necessarily those of CGTN.
A Ghanaian proverb says: Hunger is felt by a slave and hunger by a King. It’s a simple reminder of the devastating effects of climate change upon all of us. Although vulnerable populations like those who depend on rain-fed agriculture and fishing for their sustenance are more likely to be negatively affected than the well-off, the bottom line is that we will all eventually be affected. All feel the effects of climate change.
It’s amazing to see climate change denier groups in action, misinforming people and trying to downplay scientific evidence that climate change is real. The negative effects of global warming could threaten the health gains made over many decades. These include malnutrition and increased levels of communicable or non-communicable illnesses, as well as complex emergencies that are caused by natural catastrophes.
Africa, home to about 17 percent of the world’s population and where almost half the population lives in poverty, is poised to bear the brunt of climate change – arguably the biggest concern of our time (beyond the current COVID-19 pandemic).
The State of the Global Climate 2020 Report shows that the 2020 global mean temperature (at 14.9 degrees Celsius), was one of the warmest ever recorded. Furthermore, the average rate of temperature growth across Africa was higher then the global mean.
Our continent, which contributes less than 4 percent to global greenhouse gas emissions, and has the lowest capacity to adapt to the effects of global warming, will pay a heavy price for failure to take urgent action to address climate change at the global level.
Changes in temperature, precipitation, and rainfall are already having an impact on water resources. This is reducing agricultural production and causing malnutrition. Droughts and flooding have been widespread in many parts of Eastern, Western, and Southern Africa. In 2020, close to 100 million people were affected by acute food insecurity due to disaster-related displacements. In the same time frame, 12 percent of all new displacements worldwide were caused by conflict and extreme weather.
A sheepherder stands in a dry riverbed at Colesberg (North Cape, South Africa), September 24, 2021. /CFP
A sheepherder stands in a dry riverbed at Colesberg (North Cape, South Africa), September 24, 2021. /CFP
These aren’t just statistics. These are real people whose lives are being affected by our collective failures to act faster to limit greenhouse gas emissions and limit the global temperature rise to 1.5-2 degrees Celsius this century, as set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement.
This is all happening in the context of the COVID-19 Pandemic, which has placed global health in a precarious place and shined a spotlight on how vulnerable we are to nature. Climate change, if not controlled, will make us vulnerable to future pandemics.
Africa’s weak health systems have made it difficult for the population to access basic health services. These gaps are likely only to worsen in Africa. If inadequate measures are not taken to adapt to climate variability, climate change, and drought by 2030, then up to 118million people in Africa will be vulnerable to extreme heat, flooding, and drought.
While we are focusing on pandemic recovery efforts we cannot ignore the need to take long-term climate change mitigation measures and adaptation steps. These will require sustainable financing to address the negative humanitarian, social and economic consequences of climate change, as well as its role in amplifying pandemics.
It is estimated that in the next eight years Africa will need investments of over $3 trillion to effectively implement Nationally Determined Contributions – the climate-related policies, targets and measures that governments aim to employ as their contribution to global climate action.
This is a difficult task, as most countries are unable to fully finance their national budgets and are facing increasing health financing gaps. Fewer than five African nations have managed to increase their health spending to at least 15 percent of their national budgets as committed to in the Abuja Declaration of 2001 – a situation compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.
What are the next steps?
First, African leaders must recognize that climate change and its effects on health, economic growth, and development is real. Our response as a continent must also be urgent, inclusive, and well-coordinated. They must continue to demand regional and global cooperation and partner support in order to implement strategies to reduce greenhouse gases emissions and hold the richest countries accountable for their contribution to climate change. This is not the time for talking shop; it is time for action.
As citizens of the planet, we must recognize that governments are not able and will not solve climate change on their own. This requires collective responsibility and action to create a prosperous and equitable planet for all.
We should be involved in the creation and implementation of policies at a societal as well as individual level. We must ask our governments to keep their promises to invest more and better in mitigation and adaptation measures. These include investments in climate-resilient solutions such as green energy, robust disease surveillance and early warning mechanisms that will benefit our planet and our health.
Although we have a long road ahead of us, even the longest journey starts with one step. We have the ability to take the first step for a better tomorrow.
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