Africa Climate Week has begun
The 2023 Africa Climate Week (ACW) started on the 4th of September and will last until the 8th. This is the first of 4 Regional Climate Weeks taking place this year. The event is hosted by the Government of Kenya and is taking place in the country’s capital city, Nairobi. It is run in parallel with the Africa Climate Summit that is also currently taking place (4 - 6 September).
Africa is the lowest contributor to global emissions, accounting for only 4%, yet they are suffering the worst effects of global warming. Among other problems, the continent faces natural disasters such as droughts and cyclones which are causing food shortages and climate displacement.
On a positive note, Africa is abundant with natural resources, including plenty of renewable energy sources that are just waiting to be harnessed. The focus of the ACW is to accelerate Africa’s climate action and transition into a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable future. Representatives at the ACW are working to find ways to integrate sustainability with economic growth, allowing their nations to develop while minimising their impact on the environment. This will put Africa on the forefront of sustainable development and the new “climate economy”, but will require the cooperation and contribution of both the public and private sectors in order to be successful.
The ACW is an excellent opportunity for African nations to come together before the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) and collectively push for more urgent action during the upcoming conference.
China experiences severe impacts of climate change
This Summer, China has suffered from both extreme heat and flooding, including in areas that have never been flooded before. At least 81 casualties have already been confirmed.
Many locals have been affected by the flooding, particularly in the agricultural sector. One concern is that the flooding in the Heilongjiang Province will significantly impact the entire country’s food supply. Up to 40% of the Wuchang rice crop has been destroyed, with no chance of being replenished until next year. The government was faced with the difficult decision of redirecting the water, which ended up in the city of Zhouzhou. The water level submerged the lower floors of many houses, sweeping debris out into the streets. Many small businesses have been heavily impacted and will take years to recover from this disaster.
Scientists mostly agree that the cause of the flooding was due to climate change - and things are only expected to get worse from here. According to statistics, the number of recorded floods in China have increased by tenfold in just the past decade, and using computer softwares, all the trends show signs of climbing. It is predicted that China will suffer from increasingly extreme, prolonged and frequent heat waves and flooding every Summer, something that people are not prepared to handle. These recent extreme weather events have drawn attention to the impacts of climate change, which will have repercussions across the globe due to China’s massive contribution to the global economy. This has left many wondering whether current measures are enough to tackle and control these ‘natural’ disasters.
Technical terms used in this article:
COP28: the 28th UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) Conference of the Parties which will be held from November 30th - December 12th, 2023
Climate displacement: the movement of people partly due to climate-related disasters that are either temporary or permanent
Credits:
Images:
Commentaires