To mark the 49th International Women’s Rights Day on 8 March 2024, Afrik21 highlights the vital role of African women in the fight against climate change. The devastating effects of climate change on the African continent are amplifying already existing gender disparities, highlighting the urgent need for concerted action to strengthen women’s resilience.
Toute l'actu sur la protection de l'environnement
To mark the 49th International Women’s Rights Day on 8 March 2024, Environnementales highlights the vital role of African women in the fight against climate change. The devastating effects of climate change on the African continent are amplifying already existing gender disparities, highlighting the urgent need for concerted action to strengthen women’s resilience.
Women are 14 times more likely to die from climate-related disasters than men. This finding by UN Women reflects the growing recognition that the adverse effects of natural disasters disproportionately affect marginalised groups, particularly women and children.
The reason for this is simple. African women, particularly in rural areas, are the pillars of communities, shouldering crucial domestic and economic responsibilities. However, the scarcity of natural resources and climatic shocks are increasing their vulnerability. In Ethiopia, where the worst drought in nearly 40 years has hit, thousands of girls have been forced to drop out of school to take on the increased burden of household and agricultural tasks. They are suffering loss of income due to lower agricultural productivity and are travelling longer distances to access water, while men and teenagers are migrating to urban centres in search of work.
The situation is the same in West and Central Africa, where women are on the front line of these effects of climate change. According to analyses of the impact of climate change, reported by AfricaInteract, a 2% rise in temperature is likely to lead to the disappearance of 10-15% of species in West Africa, and would affect agricultural production by 30%, a sector that employs 60% of the working population.
Women, the key to the future of climate action in Africa
On this Women’s Day, it is essential to recognise the challenges faced by African women in the context of climate change, while celebrating their central role in the search for sustainable solutions. For they bring effective knowledge and skills. In rural areas, women, who are often responsible for the family water supply, have invaluable expertise in rainfall patterns and water conservation practices. With this in mind, involving women in the development of effective adaptation strategies has become a priority in many African countries.
By August 2023, 40 of the 41 African countries that had updated their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) had integrated gender considerations, with 25 countries focusing on adaptation and 12 on mitigation. Notable advances have been made, notably in Nigeria, where the National Gender Policy has been revised and a National Action Plan on the link between gender and climate change adopted in 2022. Similarly, Malawi has set up a National Technical Committee on Climate Change, with representation from the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Security, thereby strengthening its policy and institutional frameworks for more inclusive climate action.
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Sierra Leone’s coastal communities, faced with rising sea levels and increasingly violent storms, are receiving crucial support with the announcement on 6 March 2024 of a $26.8 million initiative. The Green Climate Fund (GCF), in collaboration with the government of Sierra Leone and the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Save the Children, is launching an ambitious project to build resilience to the devastating effects of climate change along the coast of this West African country.
The Sierra Leone Coastal Resilience Project aims to enable communities to better plan for and adapt to the impacts of climate change, while improving their livelihoods. With the direct aim of reaching 260,000 people and benefiting a further million, the initiative will involve the conservation and restoration of 1,500 hectares of mangrove ecosystems essential for coastal protection and marine biodiversity.
Working with local partners, this five-year project will focus on improving food and water security, supporting education, enhancing social inclusion, and improving the health and well-being of coastal populations. Particular attention will be paid to women, young people and children, who are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Efforts will include building resilience in more than 70 schools, as well as improving education on climate change.
The $26.8 million funding comes primarily from a $25 million grant from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), supplemented by contributions from Sierra Leone’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the law firm Clifford Chance and Jersey Overseas Aid. This project, Save the Children’s fourth with the GCF and the first in sub-Saharan Africa, reflects the commitment of international organisations to supporting the most vulnerable communities in the face of the impacts of climate change.
Inclusive approaches and nature-based solutions
« Through this project, we have the opportunity to implement innovative solutions, harnessing nature-based approaches and sustainable practices to strengthen our coastal defences. We will work hand in hand with local communities, ensuring that they are actively involved in the decision-making process and that their voices are heard and valued, » explains Abu Bakar Massaquoi, Executive Chairman of the Sierra Leone EPA.
The project will be implemented in partnership with the EPA, local communities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), following extensive consultations with all relevant stakeholders. The funding agreement was signed on 6 March 2024 at the GCF Board meeting in Kigali, Rwanda.
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SIERRA LEONE: a $26.8 million investment to strengthen climate resilience
Sierra Leone’s coastal communities, faced with rising sea levels and increasingly violent storms, are receiving crucial support with the announcement on 6 March 2024 of a $26.8 million initiative. The Green Climate Fund (GCF), in collaboration with the government of Sierra Leone and the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Save the Children, is launching an ambitious project to build resilience to the devastating effects of climate change along the coast of this West African country.
An alarming new study highlights the devastating consequences of climate change on the African continent. Published on 21 February 2024 by the Centre for Global Development (CDM), the study reveals that more than 200 million people in Africa could be plunged into severe famine after 2050 if adequate adaptation measures are not put in place now.
The study, entitled « The socio-economic impact of climate change in developing countries over the coming decades », reinforces Africa’s position as the continent most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Published by the Centre for Global Development (CDM), a forum where countries share their experience of economic and social development policies, it predicts that after 2050, Africa will be hard hit by the impact of climate disruption.
While the agricultural sector is already threatened by an increase in extreme weather phenomena, rising temperatures and, above all, changes in rainfall, the study shows that income from crops could fall by a third by 2050. Beyond that date, the study predicts a 7.1% contraction in gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in Africa. « If the threat of climate change is not addressed, the socio-economic problems of developing countries, particularly in Africa, will worsen and erode the development gains of recent decades », explains Philip Kofi Adom, the author of the study, who is also an economist at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa.
Improving the financing of adaptation in Africa
By 2050, the socio-economic impact of climate change in Africa would also mean an increase in poverty on the continent of 20 to 30% compared to the current situation. If nothing is done, 50 million Africans would face a lack of water and would have to move to other regions. And 200 million of them could be affected by extreme famine.
However, the study also offers a message of hope. By limiting the rise in global temperature to less than 2 degrees Celsius and by improving the financing of adaptation measures, particularly in terms of food security, it is still possible to limit the devastating impacts of climate change in Africa.
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AFRICA: climate change will plunge 200 million people into famine
An alarming new study highlights the devastating consequences of climate change on the African continent. Published on 21 February 2024 by the Centre for Global Development (CDM), the study reveals that more than 200 million people in Africa could be plunged into severe famine after 2050 if adequate adaptation measures are not put in place now.
The 7th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) is being held from 29 February to 2 March 2024 in the Algerian capital, Algiers. Billed as the « Summit of Major Challenges », it will focus on the role of natural gas in the transition to renewable energies.
The 7th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) begins on 29 February 2024 in the Algerian capital, Algiers. « The holding of the summit in Algiers is an extremely important strategic event in the field of energy, in that Algeria will be working to strengthen the partnership between countries, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and thus promote the place and role that it will have to play as part of sustainable solutions for future energy », explains Mohamed Arkab, the Algerian Minister of Energy and Mines.
Against a backdrop of mounting pressure to speed up the dialogue on targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and phasing out the use of fossil fuels, the GECF sees natural gas as the key to the transition to sustainable energy.
Today, the use of natural gas is developing more rapidly in other areas, such as power stations and industry, « because of its energy efficiency and environmental qualities ». According to NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber (AEC), natural gas is the key to a prosperous future and a just energy transition for Africa.
Taking Tanzania as an example, the AEC president points out that from wells and a gas processing plant on Songo Songo Island, which now generates around 45% of Tanzania’s electricity, the East African country has created over 114,000 jobs and significantly reduced its carbon emissions (at the Tanzania Portland Cement Company alone, CO2 emissions have been cut by around 80,000 tonnes a year). Songo Songo’s gas production also provides a cleaner source of energy for Dar es Salaam’s power stations, replacing diesel and heavy fuel oil (HFO).
Over 69% of the world’s gas reserves
Launched in 2001, the GECF summit, now in its seventh year, will also inaugurate the headquarters of the Gas Research Institute (GRI), hosted and run by Algeria. This 7th summit will see the signing of several memorandums of understanding between the GECF and major international and regional organisations.
Full members of the GECF are Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. Angola, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mozambique and Peru have observer status. They account for 69% of world gas reserves, 39% of marketed production and 40% of world gas exports. In addition, GECF member countries collectively account for more than half (51%) of the world’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports.
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ALGERIA: natural gas presented as the key to energy transition in Algiers
The 7th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) is being held from 29 February to 2 March 2024 in the Algerian capital, Algiers. Billed as the « Summit of Major Challenges », it will focus on the role of natural gas in the transition to renewable energies.
The harmattan season is intensifying in Ghana, with a dangerous increase in fine particles in the air. The government is sounding the alarm, advising the public to reduce outdoor activities to a strict minimum.
Accra, the capital of Ghana, now ranks alongside New Delhi in India as one of the world’s most polluted cities. The African city of 4 million inhabitants, marked by rapid urbanization and industrialization, is currently experiencing air pollution due to the harmattan season.
Monitoring results published on February 6, 2024 by Ghana’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indicate an air quality index (AQI) between unhealthy (red) and very unhealthy (purple). Harmattan is at the root of this pollution. The hot, dry north-easterly wind has intensified this year, compared with previous years.
« From our monitoring points along the route, we’ve realized that pollution levels are high – and this is largely due to climate change. Rising temperatures, changing wind patterns and increased desertification have all contributed to the severity of the weather, » explains Selina Amoah, Environmental Quality Officer at the EPA. She also points out that climate change can influence the intensity and duration of the harmattan season, potentially leading to more severe dust storms or altered dust transport patterns. This can also have a negative impact on air quality.
Limiting outdoor activities
To reduce the harmattan season’s impact on people’s health, the EPA has urged vulnerable groups – particularly the elderly, children, pregnant women, people with asthma and associated allergies, and anyone else with underlying health problems – to reduce outdoor activities as much as possible. The agency also urges all vehicle users to reduce their speed on unpaved roads to reduce dust emissions.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is responsible for 4 million deaths worldwide every year. In Ghana, this translates into at least 28,000 premature deaths every year. These figures are all the more shocking given that only 1% of global development aid is devoted to combating air pollution.
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GHANA: climate change amplifies air pollution in Accra
The harmattan season is intensifying in Ghana, with a dangerous increase in fine particles in the air. The government is sounding the alarm, advising the public to reduce outdoor activities to a strict minimum.