At COP29, Africa demands to be given the means to adapt to global warming

“How many lives will Africa have to lose before it is heard? » The resentment expressed by Augustine Njamnshi, co-founder of the Pan-African Alliance for Climate Justice, which brings together 2,000 civil society organizations, sweeps the continent as the 29^my Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29).

There, a new global climate financing objective must be defined that, starting next year, will replace the -largely insufficient- 100 billion dollars (92.8 billion euros) annually decided in 2009, and achieved in 2022, to help countries in development to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. and adapt to the consequences of global warming.

In northern Cameroon, where Augustine Njamnshi is from, floods caused by torrential rains since August have affected more than 400,000 people and 60,000 homes have been destroyed. “At home, more and more people are dying due to climate change for which they are not responsible and the industrialized countries that are its origin do not help us as they should. In contrast, poor countries are being asked to take on more debt to finance adaptation programs. “This is no longer acceptable.”warns.

7 million people affected by floods

Since the beginning of the year, almost 7 million people have been affected by floods of exceptional magnitude in central and western Africa. Fifteen hundred of them died. Chad, Niger and Nigeria suffered the most damage.

At the same time, southern Africa continues to suffer the consequences of an extreme drought that is ruining crops and undermining the distribution of energy provided by hydroelectric plants. In Zambia, economic activity is slowing and the country could record its lowest growth rate since 1998 – apart from the brief recession during the Covid-19 pandemic – according to the International Monetary Fund. Businesses and homes only receive three hours of electricity a day.

Africa has always fought to demand that adaptation be taken into account in the same way as emissions mitigation. The definition of adaptation objectives based on a series of indicators, whose debate should culminate at the end of 2025 at the COP30 in Belem (Brazil), is therefore largely due to their perseverance. In Baku, this remains one of its priorities.

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