By Friday Phiri
Poor early warning systems in Africa is one subject that keeps popping up during climate change conferences. And this year’s Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA-IV) is no different as stakeholders attending the conference in Morocco have once again raised a red flag on the continent’s poorly developed meteorological services.
Robert Chimambo, Board Member of the Zambia Climate Change Network (ZCCN), shares his perspective on the subject
By Friday Phiri
"While Africa has the option to choose its developmental trajectory in the face of climate change, it has no option but to adapt for survival", says Dr. Rajendra Pachauri of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Addressing delegates via video conferencing during the official opening of the Fourth Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA-IV), Dr Pachauri has signaled that Africa remains the most vulnerable continent to climate change impacts due to its poor infrastructure and coping systems.
By Isaiah Esipisu
Ms. Fatima Denton, Co-ordinator for the African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) talks about the importance of using agriculture for climate development and a foundation for industrial pathway.
By Friday Phiri
Climate justice has emerged as a key component in the road to a world climate treaty ahead of the Conference of Parties-COP 20 in Lima, Peru and the 2015 conference in Paris, France.
But what is climate justice and what does it entail in the COP processes? Dr. Tara Shine from Mary Robinson Foundation shares her perspective on climate justice.
By Kofi Adu Domfeh
Africa’s capacity to feed itself now and in the future remains a major challenge. This is in spite of the continent’s enormous agricultural potentials to produce enough food for the continent and sell surplus produce.
Interest groups at the Fourth Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa want agriculture transformed into a more dynamic commercial-oriented venture. They believe that this will improve productivity, create jobs, generate income and enhance livelihoods.
By Friday Phiri
Deforestation and forest degradation, through agricultural expansion, conversion to pastureland, infrastructure development, destructive logging, fires etc., account for nearly 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than the entire global transportation sector and second only to the energy sector.
In a bid to reverse the scenario, the United Nations Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) was devised in an effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests, offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development.
An additional component to make it "REDD+" goes beyond deforestation and forest degradation, and includes the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.
In the following insert, Mr. Tosi Mpanu Mpanu Member of the Governing Board of the African Risk Capacity, a specialized agency of the African Union, speaks on the importance of REDD+ to African communities whose livelihoods depend on forests.
By Kofi Adu Domfeh
