There is an urgent need to halt the effects of climate change which has become the defining issue of the 21st century. The period 2015-2019 is the hottest 5-year period on record according to the World Meteorological Organization. The past four years were the hottest since 1850 when the recording began, and we are looking at a maxed-out carbon credit globally. Developing countries are the most affected as they lack the resources to fight global warming. West Africa is experiencing crop production losses thanks to historical global warming, which could threaten food security. Over 4 million people from all over the world were part of the global youth strike on Friday, whose aim was to demand for a safe environment. The strike took place just a day before the UN youth climate summit on Saturday. African countries plan to call on the UN to declare a global climate emergency at the New York climate summit that will follow on Monday. Read more at Reuters.
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African countries are at pains to meet their 2030 development goals including ending poverty and hunger, because of climate change. According to World Vision, warmer seas are likely to cause droughts and floods while inconsistent rainfall and falling crop yields will be the scenario in most of Africa. Kenya and Somalia are already facing drought situation due to low rains in 2018. African governments have been calling on funding for years, to help them include climate risks as part of their economic planning strategy and curb global warming. The governments are banking on the declaration of a climate change emergency to boost financial support. While talks have been held before, this time, African governments seek more than just words on paper, but concrete solutions. One of these ways could be to make climate action plans such as the 2015 Paris Agreement legally binding for countries.
What other measures can African governments take to ensure the timely tackling of the climate change problem? Share.