Wisdom Mdzungairi
3 December 2011
Africa should set an example for the rest of the world, and show that the continent can adapt to the changing climatic conditions by crafting adaptation strategies that will help its people deal effectively with development challenges brought about by global warming.
This was the conclusion reached by the African Climate Policy Centre-organised panel discussion at the on-going UN climate talks.
The discussion moderated by African Union Commission director for Agriculture and Rural Economy, Abebe Haile-Gebriel, also argued that it is critical for vulnerable populations, struggling to cope with their daily lives, to be taught how to adapt to changing weather patterns and how to insulate themselves from climate extremes.
Tanzania chief negotiator at the COP 17 talks, Richard Myungi said climate change has a multiplier effect on the problems already facing Africa, such as poverty and food insecurity, hence it is important that the countries responsible for climate change should pay for adaptation.
Myungi said Africa needs to adapt to the changing climate because developed nations could find it difficult to pay for the climate damage due to the Eurozone crisis currently facing Europe. “It is therefore important to explore innovative methods of raising financial resources for adaptation from other sources.”
Climate Change Adaptation in Africa (CCAA) programme leader Fatima Denton also said adaptation should not be seen as a separate initiative, but as an important process of social transformation. “Many people see adaptation as an outcome, but the quality of the process is also important in determining what the outcome will be,” she said. She identified the three key areas for adaptation as energy, water and agriculture.
Denton added that generating and disseminating knowledge about climate change is an important element of adaptation. “Vulnerable people struggling on a daily basis with questions about how to adapt to extreme weather patterns, how to feed themselves, need to be part of the conversation,” she said.
She emphasized the important role played by stakeholders in bringing about social change, and said they should be supported and fully embedded in the adaptation process.
Panellist, Saleemul Huq of the International Institute of Environment and Development, said adaptation to the effects of climate change is important to Africa and other developing countries and that they should take the initiative in designing and funding these activities and not wait for assistance from donors. “Adaptation is a new business and no one has done it before. Africa should take the lead in this area and in the future, it will sell this expertise to the rest of the world,” he said.
He gave the example of Bangladesh that is investing $300 million annually into its adaptation programme. “If you say adaptation is important to you, you should put your money where your mouth is like Bangladesh has done,” Huq said. “Africa should be the most adaptive continent, rather than the most vulnerable.”
Global Climate Adaptation Partnership’s Tom Downing said it was difficult to measure the costs of adaptation, or non-adaptation, as it is difficult to measure the damage that climate change does to people and communities.
In discussing how to move from planning adaptation measures to actual implementation, Heather McGray of the World Resources Institute, listed some important steps that may help such as sharing knowledge and information across institutional boundaries; developing mechanisms for joint decision making between different sectoral institution; sharing resources between institutions; conducting an analysis of conflicts and synergies across sectoral boundaries and developing incentives for the private sector to participate in adaptation initiatives.
Economic Commission for Africa Food Security and Sustainable director Josue Dione emphasized that adaptation measures were not of the stand-alone variety, but should be an integral part of overall development policies.
AllAfrica – All the Time
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Africa: Africa Should Lead Climate Adaptation