According to a new study published on March 17, 2023, logging, fires and agriculture are causing mountain forests to disappear at an increasing rate. At least 78.1 million hectares, or 7.1 percent of the total of these ecosystems, disappeared between 2000 and 2018. The situation in Africa is of particular concern, given the climatic role played by its mountain forests.
Toute l'actu sur la protection de l'environnement
According to a new study published on March 17, 2023, logging, fires and agriculture are causing mountain forests to disappear at an increasing rate. At least 78.1 million hectares, or 7.1 percent of the total of these ecosystems, disappeared between 2000 and 2018. The situation in Africa is of particular concern, given the climatic role played by its mountain forests.
Africa’s montane tropical forests store more carbon per hectare in their above-ground biomass than any other tropical forest on the planet. A study published in March 2021 by the German University of Bayreuth shows that Africa’s montane rainforests store an average of 149.4 tons of carbon per hectare, compared to an average of 89.3 hectares for the rainforests of Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
Africa’s montane rainforests are therefore of critical importance to the carbon cycle and climate regulation. Researchers have also established that these ecosystems are biodiversity hotspots and home to a large number of endemic plant and animal species, i.e. species that do not exist anywhere else on earth.
Deforestation is accelerating
Mountain forests are disappearing at an accelerated rate, to the detriment of the climate and biodiversity. According to a new study published on March 17, 2023 in the journal One Earth, the mountain forests that covered 1.1 billion hectares of the planet in 2000 have lost 7.1% of their area over the following 18 years. This loss is accelerating. The study indicates that recent losses were 2.7 times greater than at the beginning of the century.
« Losses in the forest mountains of the tropics are increasing very rapidly, more than in other regions. And biodiversity is very rich in these places, so the impact is huge, » says Zhenzhong Zeng, co-author of the study.
Logging is responsible for 42 percent of the loss of mountain forests, followed by forest fires (29 percent), shifting cultivation (15 percent), and permanent or semi-permanent agriculture (10 percent), according to the study.
Fanta Mabo
On the occasion of the 38th International Women’s Day, Environnementales highlights the opinion of Arlette Soudan-Nonault, in the great concert of climate action. Concerned about an Africa unfairly hit by natural disasters, the Congolese Minister for the Environment, Sustainable Development and the Congo Basin demands openness and concreteness during major international meetings on environmental protection.
A determination that has clearly not wavered. That of mobilising the international community towards real action in the fight against climate change in Africa. Arlette Soudan-Nonault once again took to the stage on 3 March 2023, on the occasion of Africa Environment Day. « If countries continue with their current policies, global warming will not be 1.5 degrees in 2100 but 2.8 degrees, a far cry from the Paris Agreement, and with the near prospect of a total loss of control over our climate destiny, » warned the Congolese Minister for the Environment, Sustainable Development and the Congo Basin.
In this pressing context for the acceleration of the ecological transition, the Minister expresses her frankness every time she calls on developed countries to honour their climate commitments to the countries of the South. In November 2022, during the United Nations Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP 27) in Egypt, the Congolese woman slammed the door on the debates, believing that the speeches of the heads of state were leading nowhere and that the virtues of the Congo Basin were not recognised at their true value. « Africa, which only emits 4% of global emissions, has not been taken into account. We have come to talk about adaptation, we have come to talk about mitigation, we are good at mitigation, but as a responsible person, we must continue to reconcile mitigation and development, so we must move towards an energy transition with clean energy, so we need financing, » had defended the minister, who is also a Commander of the Congolese Order of Merit.
From journalist to environmental defender
If Arlette Soudan-Nonault expresses an ecological sensitivity, her freedom of tone for climate justice is certainly due to her professional past. The daughter of a diplomat, she lived and studied in Moscow, Russia, and Paris, France, before embarking on a career as a journalist in Brazzaville, Congo, between 1989 and 1997. At Radio Congo, she presented the news and produced programmes such as « Les stratèges du Look » and « Clin d’œil d’Arlette Soudan-Nonault ». She later became a press attaché at the Presidency of the Republic, before setting up her own communications consultancy.
In addition to this professional ascension, which led her in turn to the high office of Minister of Tourism and Leisure on 30 April 2016 and Minister in charge of the Environment since 22 August 2017, journalism also gave her marriage. Arlette Soudan-Nonault is the wife of French journalist François Soudan, editorial director of Jeune Afrique magazine.
Also the Technical Coordinator of the Congo Basin Climate Commission since August 2017, Arlette Soudan-Nonault is currently at the heart of preparations for two important summits to be held in Brazzaville in June 2023. These are the summit of the world’s three largest basins and the summit on the global decade of afforestation.
Fanta Mabo
AFRICA: Arlette Soudan-Nonault, a voice for climate justice
On the occasion of the 38th International Women’s Day, Environnementales highlights the opinion of Arlette Soudan-Nonault, in the great concert of climate action. Concerned about an Africa unfairly hit by natural disasters, the Congolese Minister for the Environment, Sustainable Development and the Congo Basin demands openness and concreteness during major international meetings on environmental protection.
Increasing investment in the clean energy sector is one of the twelve recommendations contained in the Niamey Declaration. The document was adopted at the end of the 9th edition of the African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (FRADD-9), which was held from 28 February to 3 March 2023 in Niamey, the capital of Niger. The central theme of the three-day event was « accelerating inclusive and green recovery from multiple crises and the integrated and full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063 ».
The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the UN system and other development partners are called upon to remain mobilised behind African states in the pursuit of local resource-based industrialisation, including the promotion of a mineral value chain for lithium-ion batteries in Africa. This is the main recommendation of the Niamey Declaration, adopted on 2 March 2023 in the Nigerian capital, at the end of the ninth African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (FRADD-9).
This recommendation is the second of a total of twelve. Its theme is similar to that addressed by the first recommendation, on transformative initiatives favourable to a green revival of economic growth. On this point, the President of Niger called on the developed countries. « Climate change, coupled with demographic dynamics, has created challenges in many African countries that need to be addressed if Africa is to make progress towards achieving the sustainable development goals. Developed countries must play their part in ensuring that African countries have access to climate finance, particularly with regard to the Sahel Climate Fund, » says Mohamed Bazoum.
The Loss and Damage Fund
In addition to issues related to access to water and sanitation, the preservation of biodiversity and the sharing of scientific knowledge, FRADD-9 participants insisted on the respect of international agreements and the implementation of major resolutions in the fight against climate change. This is the case of the Loss and Damage Fund, adopted at COP27 in Egypt. The Niamey declaration states: « Let the efforts undertaken to create a Loss and Damage Fund bear fruit so that resources can be mobilised to compensate for the increasing losses of infrastructure, ecosystems and livelihoods due to extreme climatic phenomena that are severely affecting the continent ».
The 9th FRADD also calls on the international community to meet its obligations under the Paris Agreement and to redouble its efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions so that humanity can continue to live in a stable climate system.
The ninth session of the Forum was held under the theme: « Accelerating Inclusive and Green Recovery from Multiple Crises and the Full and Integrated Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want of the African Union ». This theme is closely linked to the theme of the 2023 High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development meeting, namely « Accelerating recovery from the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels ». The meeting is being held from Monday 10 July to Wednesday 19 July 2023 in New York, United States of America.
Garama Saratou Rabiou Inoussa, Niger’s Minister of the Environment, Urban Hygiene and Sustainable Development, in her capacity as Chair of FRADD-9, will present the forum’s recommendations at the upcoming global gatherings on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate. In addition to the July meeting in New York, these include the SDG Summit on 19-20 September 2023, the UN General Assembly’s Week of High-Level Segment, COP28 and global, regional and sub-regional fora on the accelerated implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
Boris Ngounou
FRADD-9: increasing investment in clean energy projects
Increasing investment in the clean energy sector is one of the twelve recommendations contained in the Niamey Declaration. The document was adopted at the end of the 9th edition of the African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (FRADD-9), which was held from 28 February to 3 March 2023 in Niamey, the capital of Niger. The central theme of the three-day event was « accelerating inclusive and green recovery from multiple crises and the integrated and full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063 ».
The African Union (AU) has decided to extend the Great Green Wall project to southern Africa. This decision was taken because of the security challenges faced in the Sahel countries. Launched in 2007, the pan-African ecological restoration initiative is only 20% complete, mainly in Senegal and Ethiopia.
Southern Africa is now part of the perimeter of the Great Green Wall (GGW) project. This was decided by the African Union (AU) because of the insecurity problems in many countries in the Sahel, the original project area. According to Elvis Paul Tangem, the GGW project coordinator for the AU, it is almost impossible to continue planting trees and restoring degraded land in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Nigeria, Eritrea and northern Cameroon because of insecurity and the reallocation of funds to humanitarian aid.
We are now moving to areas that are less of a security threat and less prone to conflict, » he said. We are also looking at the southern part of Africa. We are aware that Madagascar, Angola, Namibia and South Africa have suffered severe drought and desertification in recent years. The Great Green Wall now extends to these countries, » says Elvis Paul Tangem.
Insecurity and climate change
Based on the AU’s assessment of the causes of the slowdown of the GGW project in its original area, insecurity can be seen as a factor in desertification in Africa, and vice versa. Taking part in the UN Security Council’s high-level debate on climate and security on 23 February 2021, several African leaders identified climate change as one of the main drivers of insecurity in Africa.
The videoconference discussion touched on the serious climate-related security risks in Africa, including in West Africa, Somalia, Darfur, the Sahel, Mali and the Lake Chad Basin. « In my country, we live in constant insecurity, due to many factors that put Sudan at the top of the list for climate vulnerability, » says Nisreen Elsaim, chair of the United Nations Youth Advisory Group.
Only 20% of targets met, after 16 years
According to a United Nations (UN) study published in 2020, the Great Green Wall had only achieved about 20% of its targets, including in Senegal and Ethiopia.
The latest boost to the project comes from the President of the 15th Conference of the Parties (Cop15) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought. On 31 January 2023 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Alain-Richard Donwahi and the Regional Coordinator of the Subregional Hub for West and Central Africa of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Njoka Tikum, signed a memorandum of understanding. The MoU covers the establishment of a financial mechanism for the effective implementation of the GGW.
Launched in 2007 by the AU, the initiative initially envisaged the continuous planting of millions of trees over a 15 km wide strip from Senegal to Djibouti. In 2013, the vision was reoriented towards a broad programme of sustainable ecosystem management and improving the living conditions of rural populations affected by land degradation. The project’s goals include restoring 100 million hectares of land, capturing and storing 250 million tons of CO2 through vegetation by 2030, and creating 10 million jobs in rural areas while contributing to food security in one of the world’s most malnourished regions.
Fanta Mabo
Great Green Wall: project extends to Southern Africa
The African Union (AU) has decided to extend the Great Green Wall project to southern Africa. This decision was taken because of the security challenges faced in the Sahel countries. Launched in 2007, the pan-African ecological restoration initiative is only 20% complete, mainly in Senegal and Ethiopia.
The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) has announced its first ever climate forecast for March 2023. The climate information provided by the agency will be useful for planning and implementing activities in climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture, water resources, energy and health.
A climate forecast is an estimate of the future development of average and/or extreme weather conditions. Unlike weather forecasts, climate forecasts do not aim to predict the weather on a specific date, but to predict the likelihood of a particular change. This is what the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) will be able to do from March 2023.
This service capability is made possible by the financial support of the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI), following a memorandum of understanding signed with GMet. Since its establishment in 1986, the agency has been unable to make climate forecasts due to limited staff and the lack of the required technical infrastructure. « Making climate projections is expensive. To develop a climate atlas, you need qualified and equipped meteorologists. And this is expensive. Previously, we had only six people in the department of applied research and meteorology, of which only two were in the climate department, » explains Eric Essuman, the director of GMet.
Thanks to the partnership with Denmark, 50 newly recruited GMet meteorologists are being trained in data collection, processing and archiving techniques for climate forecasting.
The Danish Meteorological Institute’s three-year support project in Ghana also includes an economic impact assessment of how the agency influences various sectors of the Ghanaian economy. This is because the climate forecasts and information provided are useful tools for planning and implementing activities in climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, water resources, energy and health. According to official figures, smallholder rain-fed agriculture accounts for 45% of Ghana’s labour force.
Fanta Mabo
GHANA: Meteorological Agency to Begin Climate Forecasts in March 2023
The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) has announced its first ever climate forecast for March 2023. The climate information provided by the agency will be useful for planning and implementing activities in climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture, water resources, energy and health.