Innovative financing for Africa needed in tackling climate change

African countries are facing severe Cash Problems that complicated the mobilisation of national resources to climate action.

Africa, responsible for less than 2 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, faces the most serious threats associated with climate change.

This was the message of experts as part of an African Climate Week meeting devoted to ensuring the implementation of climate action and green recovery in Africa (26- 29 September).

Reconstruction provides an opportunity to tackle social inequalities and to invest in economic development which is good for people and for nature.

Harsen Nyambe, Head of Environment, Climate Change, Water and Land Management at the AUC, said that poor implementation rate for existing policies and strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change in Africa was a significant challenge for Africa.

The report finds that 79 of Africa ‘s fastest-growing cities, 15 of which being African capitals, and many of the continent’s major economic centres, are “at extreme risk” of climate change.

Martha Melesse, senior program officer at the IDRC, lamented the fact that women and girls have scant resources, information and technologies for combating climate change.

Martha Melesse, Senior Program Officer at IDRC, stressed the need of more data to guide climate change and continent recovery measures and strategies, adding that we “need to recognise existing barriers women face and what role they can play in the fight against climate change. Our recovery initiatives should be gender inclusive.” and that our recovery efforts should be gender-diverse.