Introduction:

Despite being the least polluting or carbon-emitting continent, Africa is one of the most severely affected regions by the climate crisis. This is due to several factors: many depend on rainfall to grow food, and the climate emergency has caused several droughts, leading to the monsoons in West Africa experiencing a 30% downfall in rain since the 1960s. Even in East Africa, the long rains start later and end sooner, causing an overall decrease in rainfall. More worryingly, in Central Africa, the rainfall is getting dangerously close to the minimum needed to support the rainforest. As well as this, temperatures have steadily increased, causing further damage to humans and agriculture.

Solutions:

But there are solutions aiming towards change. For example, in Cameroon, Wilfred Pokam and his researchers expose how southern Africa and central Africa share a linked climate system, deconstructing the regional view of the continent’s climate system. These researchers are also the ones behind the Lidar system, which measures winds in the lowest few kilometres of the atmosphere. 

The Paris Agreement:

African nations have ratified the Paris Agreement to a degree of over 90%, having been committed to the transition to green energy and agriculture. Not only has this helped the planet, but these environmental initiatives have also helped to bridge the socio-economic divide and reduce poverty. The agriculture sector employs 60% of Africa’s population. With solar-powered micro-irrigation systems, we have seen an increase in farm-level incomes by five to ten times, reducing water usage by up to 90% and improving yields by up to 300%. This has offset carbon emissions by generating up to 250 kW of clean energy. 

Grassroots Organisations:

Furthermore, several grassroots organisations are working hard to tackle climate change. The Great Green Wall is a movement, founded in the Sahel region, aiming to grow an 8,000 km ‘natural wonder of the world across the entire width of Africa’. It is currently roughly 15% underway and has already provided jobs, food security and life back to the degraded landscapes it passes through. There are several movements led by indigenous people to fight against climate change. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, President of the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad, is working to advocate for the knowledge of indigenous people in the movement to fight climate change. Ibrahim and the Mbororo people have been creating a 3D map of Chad to inform conservation and research management, following the depletion in size of Lake Chad (reduced to one-tenth of its original size), an important water source in the area. Ibrahim encouraged animal herders to plot out the migration corridors used to bring cattle to water, fisherfolk who needed access to the shore and farmers to sketch croplands. Using this information, she was able to help these communities find a compromise over water access while mitigating conflict. 

The Hadza:

In Tanzania, the Hadza are similarly working to offset carbon emissions and combat climate change. There, ‘the last archers of Africa’ are selling carbon credits generated from forest conservation, and use revenue to employ young people as scouts to keep deforestation at bay. While this type of conservation has been seen before in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, rather than displacing local people, this project by Carbon Tanzania embraces the traditional skills of the Hadza like those who work with the ecosystem, befriending their wildlife and protecting the forest. 

Conclusion:

Therefore, there are solutions aiming towards change. African nations and several grassroots organisations are working hard to tackle climate change. For example, Carbon Tanzania embraces the traditional skills of the Hadza.