
<p>By Sebsebe Demissew, Professor of Plant Systematics and Biodiversity at Addis Ababa University and Executive Director of the GulleleBotanic Garden in Addis Ababa.</p>



<p>The United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, asked
countries to announce new national commitments for cutting greenhouse gas
emissions at the Climate Summit that took place last week in New York. The
results were mixed. In the end,&nbsp;69&nbsp;countries came forward saying they
were willing to enhance their targets under the Paris Agreement, although the
world’s biggest emitters remained silent.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Ethiopia was one of the countries to pledge to increase its climate ambition, after hosting an important meeting in August to rally support amongst African nations for declaring a climate emergency. At the Summit itself, Prime Minister Ahmed committed to planting 4 billion trees a year as part of our climate effort. This follows the record-breaking initiative the Prime Minister led that saw 350 million trees planted in one day. </p>



<p>In short, the current government&nbsp;is putting the country at the
forefront of the global response to climate change. But there is a lot of hard
work ahead, particularly in terms of&nbsp;finding&nbsp;the best
possible&nbsp;ways to use&nbsp;land to ensure&nbsp;it&nbsp;serves&nbsp;as a
climate solution, a source of sustainable development and food production, all
at the same time.</p>



<p>Ethiopia isn’t alone in this challenge.&nbsp;It’s no secret global
food and land use&nbsp;systems are in&nbsp;crisis and no longer fit for
purpose.&nbsp;The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have told us,
for example,&nbsp;that&nbsp;food and land use&nbsp;is&nbsp;responsible&nbsp;for
up to 30 percent of global&nbsp;greenhouse gas
emissions&nbsp;and&nbsp;is&nbsp;the leading cause of damage to biodiversity,
forests, grasslands, wetlands and other natural habitats.</p>



<p>At the
same time, more than 500 million people&nbsp;around the world&nbsp;find
themselves&nbsp;without adequate investment in&nbsp;or access to land and
resources to institute changes, let alone the collective voice and power to
change them.</p>



<p>The
devastating sum of these inefficiencies are more than obvious in Sub-Saharan
Africa.&nbsp;New modelling released earlier this month by the Food and Land Use
(FOLU) Coalition found environmental degradation, poor diet, inequality and
rural poverty are estimated to cost sub-Saharan Africa US$680 billion per
year.&nbsp;Inaction is&nbsp;clearlynot an option.&nbsp;We either choose a
different path, or nature will choose for us. We will not meet global goals
designed to support people and the planet if we do nothing.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The good
news is that there&nbsp;are huge&nbsp;win-win&nbsp;incentives for
governments&nbsp;to lead a transformation. The same modelling from the FOLU
Coalition revealed that&nbsp;cultivating sustainable food and land use systems
could unlock an estimated US$320 billion a year for Sub-Saharan Africa&nbsp;in
new business opportunities by 2030, at the same time&nbsp;as&nbsp;restoring
health and resilience to the land, population and economy.</p>



<p>To unlock
this&nbsp;potential in Ethiopia, we need&nbsp;the&nbsp;government,
business&nbsp;sector&nbsp;and civil society alike&nbsp;to commit&nbsp;to
transforming the existing ways of doing things, which includes
investing&nbsp;inregenerative agricultural practices and promising emerging
technologies.&nbsp;</p>



<p>We&nbsp;have&nbsp;taken
the first step in this journey.&nbsp;Ethiopia&nbsp;is&nbsp;one of a handful of
countries to take on this challenge&nbsp;and is partnering with FOLU to develop
a&nbsp;strategy&nbsp;to identify appropriate long-term targets and the policies
we&nbsp;need to achieve them.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This will
arm the government with the necessary data to make smarter decisions;
identifying key sectors and the most effective projects and
initiatives.&nbsp;If done right, these transformations are predicted to save
the Ethiopian&nbsp;from harmful hits to the&nbsp;economy, including&nbsp;<a href="https://rd.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-19168-3">US$4.3 billion</a>&nbsp;lost to land
degradation.&nbsp;Ethiopia would also stand to avoid&nbsp;a 16.5% loss to GDP
per year due to chronic malnutrition,&nbsp;and a further 10% to climate change
impacts.</p>



<p>These transformations can, and must,&nbsp;work hand in hand
with other national&nbsp;development&nbsp;strategies. The government, for
example, plans&nbsp;to create 3 million new jobs.&nbsp;The FOLU Coalition
modelling found, for example, that there are 120 million new jobs on the table
if we get these transitions right. This could be a renaissance moment for rural
farming communities desperate for investment in human capital and
infrastructure.</p>



<p>The next
decade is critical. Global and regional trends are putting new pressures on
food and land use systems. But the potential for transformation has never been
greater. A new generation of agricultural leaders is coming of age, and the
initial steps taken by the Ethiopian government are promising.&nbsp;But now is
the time to match words with action.&nbsp;</p>


Op-Ed: Ethiopian food and land use systems ripe for transformation

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<p>Climate Change cannot be put off for decades. It is here and now, impacting countries across Africa from Zimbabwe to Zambia. Recognising this Standard Bank has joined the coalition of 130 global financial firms in agreeing to align their business with international efforts to address climate change and other environmental issues. The group that signed on to the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Banking represents $47 trillion in assets. Sola David-Borha, Standard Bank Group’s Chief Executive for Africa Regions joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


How banks can align their business strategies to fighting climate change

By <span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/meron-teferi-taye-804226">Meron Teferi Taye</a>, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/addis-ababa-university-2161">Addis Ababa University</a></em> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ellen-dyer-804257">Ellen Dyer</a>, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-oxford-1260">University of Oxford</a></em></span>

<p>In July Ethiopians <a href="http://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/ethiopia-plants-over-350-million-trees-day-setting-new-world-record">planted</a> 350 million trees in a single day. This was part of the country’s national <a href="https://pmo.gov.et/greenlegacy/">green legacy initiative</a> to counter environmental degradation and climate change. The initiative ultimately aims to grow 4 billion trees across the country.</p>

<p>Ethiopia has long struggled with land degradation problems in part caused by <a href="https://www.thegef.org/topics/land-degradation">unsustainable agricultural practices</a> – like <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-19168-3_14">vegetation clearance and overgrazing</a>, among others. These pressures are increasing as the population grows.</p>

<p>Where water becomes scarcer due to climate change, <a href="https://www.longdom.org/open-access/climate-change-and-its-impact-on-land-degradation-imperative-need-to-focus-2332-2594.1000108.pdf">land degradation could worsen</a>. But what does the science tell us about the effects of climate change on water resources, and so on people and the economy, in Ethiopia?</p>

<p>Since 2015, the <a href="https://reachwater.org.uk/">REACH programme</a> – a global research programme to improve water security for the poor and in which we are involved – has attempted to answer this question. We focused on Ethiopia’s Awash River basin, one of the country’s most economically and socially important basins.</p>

<p>The basin represents about <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265483628_The_Water_of_the_Awash_River_Basin_a_Future_Challenge_to_Ethiopia">10% of the country’s land area</a>, and 17% of its total population. It is home to the capital city, Addis Ababa, and also plays a critical role for Ethiopia’s economy.</p>

<p>In Ethiopia, most studies on the effects of climate change on water resources focus on the Nile basin. Future projections also often lack consistency because of the differences in the models that are used. <a href="https://reachwater.org.uk/resource/climate-change-impact-on-water-resources-in-the-awash-basin-ethiopia/">Our research</a> aimed to develop better estimates of the effects of climate change on water availability in the Awash basin. We did this by using climate models that best represented the region’s characteristics. </p>

<p>We found that, in the future, the basin will be hotter, drier and more water stressed. This could have severe consequences on human and economic development, highlighting the need for climate resilient policies to minimise impacts.</p>

<h2>Water is crucial for people and the economy</h2>

<p>In Ethiopia, rainfall and water availability are highly variable. The lack of water often impacts communities, industry and agriculture. Almost all food crops, and most industrial crops in Ethiopia, are <a href="http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/countries_regions/eth/ETH-CP_eng.pdf">produced by rain-fed agriculture</a>. Industrial crops alone contribute to <a href="https://www.undp.org/content/dam/ethiopia/docs/UNDP%20Ethiopia%20Fact%20Sheet%20-%20Agriculture%20Growth%20and%20Transformation%20-%20August%202014.pdf">85% of export earnings</a>.</p>

<p>In addition water is vital to electricity generation. Hydropower accounts for about <a href="https://www.hydropower.org/country-profiles/ethiopia">90% of Ethiopia’s electricity</a>. </p>

<p>This high reliance on water means that Ethiopia is very vulnerable to water-related climate shocks – like water scarcity, drought and floods. <a href="https://reachwater.org.uk/resource/water-resources-extreme-events-awash-basin-economic-effects-policy-implications/">A modest 5% decrease in rainfall</a> could cause a 10% decrease in agricultural productivity and reduce the GDP derived from the basin by 5%.</p>

<p>The basin is already vulnerable. It often experiences floods and droughts. Besides, access to water is very geographically uneven, with rainfall and surface water being scarce downstream and relatively abundant in the highlands. To what extent would adding climate change to the mix worsen the situation?</p>

<h2>Hotter and drier future</h2>

<p>Using models that best characterise the basin, we projected future changes in temperature and precipitation. We then compared those to the historical average. Our climate projections suggest water stress will generally intensify in the future – although there are some spatial differences. Water availability will continue to decrease progressively until at least the end of the century.</p>

<p>These findings are particularly critical for the key irrigation period of April to June. During these months we find decreasing precipitation and increasing temperature will lead to lower water availability. </p>

<p>These months are the peak irrigation period for both small-scale farmers and large-scale irrigators. Additionally, water allocation between hydropower and irrigators could be a source of conflict in the face of decreased water availability.</p>

<p>Finally, this will make water access more challenging for human needs such as drinking, sanitation and hygiene. This will be particularly true for poor and vulnerable communities, and those downstream.</p>

<figure>
            <iframe loading="lazy" width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A_w7odR1UAA?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
            
          </figure>

<h2>Climate resilient policies</h2>

<p>Developing climate resilient policies for allocating water, and planning for a reduced water availability, is ever more pressing. But incorporating climate information within management decisions is a complex task. This requires access to scientific information and a good understanding of the current and future hydroclimatic situation.</p>

<p>To support better water management and allocation policies, our research points to the need to:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Improve the accessibility of climate information and develop the capacity of staff in government and related institutions to be able to understand and use it for water management; </p></li>
<li><p>Sustainably develop additional water sources, such as groundwater, which could act as a buffer and supplement surface water supply;</p></li>
<li><p>Consider the needs of the poorest in the basin who are the most vulnerable to climate change.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Of course, decisions about how much water to allocate and to whom in a drier future will be politically challenging. They require effective management strategies, political will and investments and better stakeholder dialogue forums. Scientists will also need to work more closely with policy makers.</p>

<p>Ethiopia’s green legacy is a promising contribution towards tackling global climate change: trees can play an important role in removing atmospheric carbon dioxide. But can trees contribute to local climate adaptation and mitigate land degradation? </p>

<p>This is a complex question and our view is that, for a country that will likely be hotter, drier, and more water stressed, climate resilient policies need to be grounded in robust science.</p>

<p><em>Alice Chautard, REACH Communications and Knowledge Exchange Manager, University of Oxford, contributed to the writing of this article.</em><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/121844/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" /></p>

<p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/meron-teferi-taye-804226">Meron Teferi Taye</a>, Country Programme Manager, REACH: Improving Water Security for the Poor, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/addis-ababa-university-2161">Addis Ababa University</a></em> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ellen-dyer-804257">Ellen Dyer</a>, Postdoctoral researcher in African Climate Science, School of Geography and the Environment, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-oxford-1260">University of Oxford</a></em></span></p>

<p>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/ethiopias-future-is-tied-to-water-a-vital-yet-threatened-resource-in-a-changing-climate-121844">original article</a>.</p>

This East African country’s future is tied to water – a vital yet threatened resource in a changing climate

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<p>Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research says the current fire in the Amazon rainforest is burning at its highest rate. It is source of concern for scientist and climate change enthusiast all over the world. To discuss this story, Desmond Majekodunmi, Environmentalist and Founder of Lufasi Urban Forest Park joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Climate change an existential threat to humanity: Lessons on biodiversity

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<p>Africa aims to halve poverty and end hunger by 2025 amid climate change and other setbacks that may hinder those targets. To explain the role financiers are playing in addressing this, Martin Fregene, Director of Agriculture &#038; Agro-Industry at the African Development Bank (AfDB) joins CBNC Africa for more.</p>


AfDB’s Martin Fregene on the role of financiers in fighting hunger in Africa

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<p>Africa is the most food-insecure region with about 256 million people facing undernutrition in 2018. The situation is getting worse in many parts of the continent because of the negative effects of the climate change. CNBC Africa’s Zwena Bachoo caught up with President of Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Agnes Kalibata for more.</p>


Climate change worsening food-insecurity in Africa, AGRA President explains why

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<p>CNBC Africa’s Fifi Peters takes a look at how the parties&#8217; election manifestos are tackling environmental issues and reveals the shocking truth that the parties don&#8217;t seem to be taking the threat of global warming seriously.</p>


Do SA’s political parties take climate change threat seriously?

By <span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/seth-asare-okyere-279492">Seth Asare Okyere</a>, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/osaka-university-1303">Osaka University</a></em>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/matthew-abunyewah-469315">Matthew Abunyewah</a>, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a></em>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-kofi-diko-267891">Stephen Kofi Diko</a>, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-cincinnati-1717">University of Cincinnati </a></em></span> 

<p>Sub-Saharan Africa is already experiencing the realities of <a href="https://report.ipcc.ch/sr15/pdf/sr15_spm_final.pdf">a changing climate</a> – and the situation is only going to get worse. </p>

<p>The reasons for this are complex. And they’re exacerbated by <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-90975-2_6">deficits</a> in the region’s infrastructure, services and socio-economic dynamics. <a href="https://theconversation.com/policymakers-have-a-lot-to-learn-from-slum-dwellers-an-accra-case-study-96940">Urbanisation</a> is another major factor. The continent’s current urban population is only <a href="https://population.un.org/wup/Publications/Files/WUP2018-KeyFacts.pdf">43%</a> – but it’s rising fast. About <a href="https://unhabitat.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02-old/Slum%20Almanac%202015-2016_EN.pdf">10 million</a> people move into towns and cities each year. </p>

<p>It’s a <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-04873-0?fbclid=IwAR3KjI_gCsdrsHPgkf1JIoXQqmyh1GhH_r8BZsEWi25Xj407h7rFKvxSIzI#toc">well established fact</a> that good climate change adaptation strategies can reduce urban areas’ vulnerability and strengthen cities’ resilience.</p>

<p>But there’s a problem. </p>

<p>Global agendas acknowledge the critical role that urban adaptation plays towards sustainable development and poverty reduction. However, they <a href="https://citiesipcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Informality-background-paper-for-IPCC-Cities.pdf">focus on</a> national governments and to a lesser extent urban governments. Citizens and civil society end up in subsidiary roles. This flies in the face of established <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/eet.1795">evidence</a>: urban adaptation to climate change is more effective where local citizens participate and own the process.</p>

<p>How can this participation and ownership be nurtured? Our <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-04873-0_14">research</a> examined the conditions that can support citizen 
led urban climate adaption in Sub-Saharan Africa through the lens of “<a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781134143191">machizukuri</a>”. This is a Japanese term which literally translates as “community building”. It sees <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781134143191/chapters/10.4324/9780203961728-8">citizens and residents</a> take ownership of the issues that affect their local environment. </p>

<p>We assessed Japan’s successful Machizukuri system to unearth the key principles needed to engage urban residents in climate adaptation in urban Africa. We found that there is potential for citizen-led urban adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa. Learning from the Machizukuri system, we can improve existing pockets of local activities, like tree planting and recycling, and identify new ones for climate adaptation.</p>

<h2>The research</h2>

<p>The Machizukuri system is considered to have <a href="http://www.usp.br/fau/iphs/abstractsAndPapersFiles/Sessions/36/WATANABE.pdf">emerged</a> from Japan’s citizen environmental movements in the 1960s and 1970s. </p>

<p>In essence, this system underlines two critical points. First, that national governments must prioritise the role of citizens in urban climate adaptation. And second, the state should demonstrate commitment by actively working with citizens, community organisations and other stakeholders. </p>

<p>By studying the system, we were able to draw out four key points. These could be considered by governments in sub-Saharan Africa that want to centralise the role of citizens in urban climate change adaptation. </p>

<p>First, there’s the need for support networks and cooperation. Support networks include community groups or associations, civil society, local government, business organisations, researchers and professionals. Cooperation among these groups can strengthen technical support. It can also build local adaptive capacity and provide legitimacy to citizens’ role.</p>

<p>Secondly, urban climate change adaptation planning and processes must integrate existing citizen activities. This is crucial for legitimacy. It is a prerequisite to build trust and cooperation between communities and local government or related agencies. It also promotes a sense of value. Local people come to feel that their opinions and initiatives matter.</p>

<p>Thirdly, social capital in local areas could be harnessed to support citizens’ collective activities for urban climate change adaptation. Strong social ties and relationships in local urban communities can be highly beneficial. </p>

<p>The <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305900612000803">Yasu city</a> of Shiga prefecture in Japan offers a good example. Its local government worked with the leaders of residents’ networks to draw attention to climate change issues and communicate with individuals within these networks. This made it possible for different residents’ groups to organise around various interest areas. They then initiated various environmental activities. These included restoring the city’s green areas, cleaning its rivers and encouraging recycling.</p>

<p>Harnessing social capital in this way also fosters collective organising. It keeps communities enthusiastic about what they’re doing.</p>

<p>Finally, the extent to which citizen-led urban climate change adaptation could be prioritised depends on the availability of resources – especially financial support. Access to regular finance is important for sustaining citizen-led urban climate change adaptation. Governments that are prepared to bring citizens on board in a meaningful way must also be willing to provide at least some of the money they need to be sustainable and successful.</p>

<h2>Applications in Africa</h2>

<p>There are already some examples of citizen engagement in climate adaptation in a few African cities.</p>

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/people-in-african-cities-are-taking-charge-of-their-water-supplies-and-its-working-91758">Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia</a> are tackling seasonal drought and its effects by forming community networks and associations. In some cases, governments have noticed these initiatives and partnered with communities. They’ve provided technical and financial support to successfully implement the projects.</p>

<p>This suggests that the Machizukuri system, or variations of it, hold great promise for African cities. As Africa continues to <a href="https://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/CDKN_Maputo-Mozambique_BP.pdf">experiment</a> with different ways to ensure adequate citizen engagement in climate adaptation, the Machizukuri system offers a useful blueprint. Citizen-led action can make all the difference for cities trying to adapt to the realities of climate change.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/115726/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" /></p>

<p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/seth-asare-okyere-279492">Seth Asare Okyere</a>, Assistant Professor, Division of Global Architecture, Graduate School of Engineering, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/osaka-university-1303">Osaka University</a></em>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/matthew-abunyewah-469315">Matthew Abunyewah</a>, Sessional lecturer, School of Architecture and Built Environment, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a></em>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-kofi-diko-267891">Stephen Kofi Diko</a>, Adjunct Instructor and PhD Candidate in Regional Development Planning, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-cincinnati-1717">University of Cincinnati </a></em></span></p>

<p>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-a-japanese-system-can-help-african-cities-adapt-to-climate-change-115726">original article</a>.</p>

Can this Japanese system help African cities adapt to climate change?


<p>MAPUTO (Reuters) &#8211; Another tropical cyclone is expected to make landfall on Mozambique’s coast on Thursday, just over a month after a more powerful storm struck the Mozambican port city of Beira further south and killed hundreds of people.</p>



<p>Weather forecasters say Cyclone Kenneth will bring heavy rainfall, strong winds and waves of several metres to the southern African nation, which is still reeling from the effects of devastating Cyclone Idai.</p>



<p>International energy companies such as Exxon Mobil have been developing huge natural gas fields off the coast of northern Mozambique.</p>



<p>“It’s going to make landfall tomorrow afternoon in Cabo Delgado (province), on the northeastern coast of Mozambique, and it is going to be a cyclone with wind speeds which could be 140 km per hour (87 miles per hour),” said Jan Vermeulen, from the South African Weather Service.</p>



<p>A cyclone report issued by a regional cyclone-monitoring centre on the French island of La Reunion said parts of southern Tanzania could also be affected by Cyclone Kenneth.</p>



<p>Authorities in southern Tanzania ordered evacuations of residents from low-lying areas and the closure of some schools and offices before the cyclone makes landfall on Thursday.</p>



<p>“We’ve decided to evacuate all residents of valleys and other low-lying areas, and we advise them to seek refuge at public spaces,” Mtwara regional commissioner Gelasius Byakanwa told reporters.</p>



<p>Mozambique’s National Institute of Disaster Management said that about 682,500 people could be at risk from the storm in the northern Cabo Delgado and Niassa provinces. About 112,000 people were in areas where winds could be in excess of 120 km per hour, it said.</p>



<p>The rivers Rovuma, Messalo, Montepuez, Megaruma, Lurio and coastal waterways in Cabo Delgado and Nampula provinces could overflow, affecting more than 70,000 people, according to a separate presentation from the National Directorate for the Management of Water Resources.</p>



<p>The directorate issued a recommendation that people living in areas at risk should move immediately to high ground, while disaster management official Augusta Maita said warnings were being broadcast in local media.</p>



<p>The International Federation of the Red Cross said its volunteers in northern Mozambique were alerting communities in areas where concerns of flooding, erosion and landslides were high. The World Food Programme said it was working with other agencies and the Mozambican government on an emergency plan.</p>



<p>More than 1,000 people were reported killed by Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.</p>



<p>That storm lashed Beira with wind speeds of up to 170 km per hour on March 14 and heavy rains prompted flooding which submerged entire villages. Mozambican health officials and international aid agencies have been battling cholera in the wake of the cyclone.</p>



<p>Reporting by Manuel Mucari in Maputo, Tanisha Heiberg and Emma Rumney in Johannesburg, and Stephanie Ulmer-Nebehay in Geneva; Writing by Alexander Winning; Editing by Gareth Jones</p>


Mozambique expected to be hit with another cyclone, what you need to know

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<p>Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari says the U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has agreed to help raise $50 billion for a project to help revive Lake Chad. Desmond Majekodunmi, Environmentalist and Founder of Lufasi Urban Forest Park joins CNBC Africa discuss this and climate change effect on West Africa.</p>


The impact of climate change effect on West Africa


<p>MAPUTO (Reuters) &#8211; Hundreds of thousands of people are still in need of aid after Cyclone Idai battered Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi in March.  </p>



<p>More than 1,000 people have been reported killed by the storm, the flooding it caused and heavy rains before it hit. The World Bank estimates the affected countries will need over $2 billion to recover.</p>



<p>Following is an outline of the disaster, according to government and U.N. officials.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">MOZAMBIQUE</h3>



<p>Cyclone Idai made landfall on the night of March 14, near the port city of Beira, bringing heavy winds and rains. Two major rivers, the Buzi and the Pungue, burst their banks, submerging villages and leaving bodies floating in the water.</p>



<p>People killed: 602</p>



<p>People injured: 1,641</p>



<p>Houses damaged or destroyed: 239,682</p>



<p>Crops damaged: 715,378 hectares</p>



<p>People affected: 1.85 million</p>



<p>Confirmed cholera cases: 4,979</p>



<p>Confirmed cholera deaths: 8</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">ZIMBABWE</h3>



<p>On March 16, the storm hit eastern Zimbabwe, where it flattened homes and flooded communities in the Chimanimani and Chipinge districts.</p>



<p>People killed: 344</p>



<p>People injured: 200</p>



<p>People displaced: 16,000 households</p>



<p>People affected: 250,000</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">MALAWI</h3>



<p>Before it arrived, the storm brought heavy rains and flooding to the lower Shire River districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje in Malawi’s south. The rains continued after the storm hit, compounding the misery of tens of thousands of people.</p>



<p>People killed: 60</p>



<p>People injured: 672</p>



<p>People displaced: 19,328 households</p>



<p>People affected: 868,895</p>



<p>Compiled by Emma Rumney; Editing by Alison Williams</p>


Hundreds of thousands displaced after Cyclone Idai, death toll over 1,000

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<p>Most people are concerned about their pension, but should they really be concerned about the effect of their pension fund on the climate? Now there is a group that is pushing for pension funds to take into account climate risk when taking investment decisions and believe that one should not take the risks losses. Tracey Davies, Executive Director at Just Share joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Are SA pension funds doing enough to fight climate change?

By <span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jeffrey-w-paller-195503">Jeffrey W Paller</a>, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-san-francisco-2073">University of San Francisco</a></em></span>

<p>Cyclone Idai tore through Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Mozambique and devastated local communities. Hundreds were <a href="https://www.africanews.com/2019/03/29/mozambique-malawi-zimbabwe-braced-for-cyclone-idai/#Echobox=1553645248">killed</a> and more than a million people were displaced.</p>

<p>Much of this devastation occurred in southern Africa’s rapidly growing coastal cities. The city of <a href="https://mg.co.za/article/2019-03-22-00-cyclone-idai-after-the-floods-the-famine-and-then-more-of-the-same">Beira in Mozambique</a>, which faces rising sea water, was nearly wiped out entirely. </p>

<p>How do African cities grow and develop in a sustainable way to confront climate change?</p>

<p>The <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/africa-in-focus/2019/03/23/africa-in-the-news-cyclone-idai-47-billion-for-climate-finance-and-power-shortages-in-south-africa/">international community</a> and African governments are aware of the emerging challenges of climate change. Beira, for example, <a href="https://apnews.com/b95c3aa3521e45f196574d949b585931">invested $120 million </a> in a drainage and water detention project to deal with rising seawater. </p>

<p>But <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/28/mozambique-mayor-cyclone-deaths-negligence-idai-rural">mismanagement</a> and booming population growth continues to place pressure on cities’ poor infrastructure. Therefore, people in Africa who live in urban areas are often forced to confront climate change <a href="https://africasacountry.com/2019/03/africans-are-largely-on-their-own-facing-climate-change?fbclid=IwAR0FB5_D5cDVMDvpCEl9DmG9_TetjiKFhPTdvtTlg2fh03Y0pON36Zb8GM0">on their own</a>.</p>

<p>My new book <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/democracy-in-ghana/20E72D3CCE54A8636AC900430C9F2C47">Democracy in Ghana: Everyday Politics in Urban Africa</a> suggests that people in Africa who live in urban areas confront these challenges in a contentious political environment. The distribution of resources and the building of infrastructure take place in a political struggle over control of the city. In particular, informal settlement and claims to urban space continue to structure everyday politics in Africa’s cities.</p>

<p>During my fieldwork, I found that urban development is shaped by relationships between those who claim they’re from a particular place – or indigeneity – and the rest. Groups native to a territory hold special rights and entitlements. The relationship between the hosts and migrants often dictate the politics of neighbourhoods.</p>

<p>These forms of everyday politics boil over into multi-party politics and municipal governance. Focusing on everyday politics can help explain why public policies are enacted, but also why powerful interest groups undermine policies that might improve the public good.</p>

<h2>The case of Accra</h2>

<p>In my view the everyday politics of urban neighbourhoods can help explain why the capture of public goods for private gain, and sustained ethnic politics continue to undermine urban development. Sustainable urban development, therefore, is not just a technical endeavour. It requires local political solutions.</p>

<p>Take Accra, Ghana, where I conducted my fieldwork. Like Beira, Accra faces <a href="https://www.scidev.net/global/policy/news/rising-sea-levels-threaten-ghana-s-coastal-communities-1.html">rising sea levels</a>. It also faces a <a href="https://unhabitat.org/books/ghana-accra-urban-profile/">growing population living in substandard conditions</a>, and <a href="http://floodlist.com/africa/ghana-floods-accra-june-2018">annual flooding</a> that displaces residents and often kills several people. </p>

<p>Accra’s squatter settlement Old Fadama – called Sodom and Gomorrah by locals – is often <a href="https://www.myjoyonline.com/news/2015/june-27th/blaming-june-3-floods-on-old-fadama-residents-reckless-irresponsible-pratt.php">blamed for the floods</a>. Residents in the neighbourhood have settled in what authorities deem an uninhabitable, marshy swampland. They are accused of disposing their waste in the surrounding Korle Lagoon, which some blame for drainage problems across the entire city.</p>

<p>But the <a href="http://www.currenthistory.com/Paller-CH_May_2017.pdf">scapegoating of Old Fadama is political</a>. </p>

<p>Accra Metropolitan Assembly officials appointed by the President are responsible for managing the city for all residents. But many have close ties to powerful local chiefs who want to reclaim the “invaded land” from migrant squatters. </p>

<p>Powerful indigenous families rally support from neighbouring citizens, especially those in the oldest quarters of the city who see incoming migrants as a threat to their control of the city. Politicians magnify this dispute in Parliament, hoping to score cheap political points. </p>

<p>The most problematic <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/EPoverty/Ghana/AmnestyInternational.docx">consequence</a> is the undermining of collective decision-making and cross-ethnic interactions in the neighbourhoods themselves. Leaders and residents are forced to <a href="https://www.zedbooks.net/shop/book/state-of-slum/forthcoming/">govern themselves in the absence of the state</a>. And they are able to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02723638.2016.1191792">mobilise residents in the event of a demolition or eviction threat</a>. But the development of long-term, pro-poor, decision-making pathways are compromised for short-term solutions and personalistic politics.</p>

<h2>The case of Ashaiman</h2>

<p>It does not have to be this way. The case of Ashaiman, a rapidly growing city outside Tema, a port city near Accra, provides an example of what can happen when leaders from diverse ethnic groups come together to govern themselves.</p>

<p>Ashaiman started as a squatter settlement in the 1960s. Indigenous landowners and migrant leaders agreed on land distribution at the early stages of urban development. This partnership has been tested throughout Ashaiman’s history, but residents constantly negotiate and renegotiate these agreements.</p>

<p>Today, while Ashaiman’s leaders certainly have their political differences, they are on the same side in their demand for improvements to the city. And they are on the same side of the <a href="https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/155825/2012-08-10_Vol11_N01_Political_Accountability_in_Ghanaian_Slums_Evidence_from_the_Grassroots.pdf">fight for more local autonomy</a>. This collective strength is an important ingredient in local communities’ ability to confront challenges like climate change in the future.</p>

<h2>Community engagement</h2>

<p><a href="http://daldrich.weebly.com/uploads/1/5/5/0/15507740/aldrich_et_al-2018-journal_of_contingencies_and_crisis_management.pdf">Evidence from other parts of the world</a> shows that social capital and community engagement is central to building resilient cities and combating climate change. </p>

<p>Even in Cyclone Idai, some communities with <a href="http://atavist.mg.co.za/the-malawian-villages-that-took-on-the-floods-and-survived">strong, proactive leaders and collective action capacity</a> prepared for the floods and were able to thwart disaster.</p>

<p>The international community, central governments, and municipal authorities must support sustainable development policies. But their success depends on the implementation and management by residents in the very neighbourhoods most affected by climate change.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/114625/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" /></p>

<p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jeffrey-w-paller-195503">Jeffrey W Paller</a>, Assistant professor, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-san-francisco-2073">University of San Francisco</a></em></span></p>

<p>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-everyday-politics-shapes-the-way-african-cities-are-run-114625">original article</a>.</p>

How African cities are run is largely shaped by everyday politics, what you need to know…

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<p>For years, climate change seemed a distant reality for many Kenyans until the glaciers atop Mt Kenya started receding. At the One Planet Summit CNBC Africa&#8217;s Godfrey Mutizwa caught up with with Connect4Climate Youth Ambassador Dee Putsoa to discuss about the recently concluded Mount Kenya expedition to raise awareness on climate change impacts.</p>


Mount Kenya expedition raises awareness on climate change – Youth Ambassador explains

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<p>Africa is responsible for only 4 per cent of global greenhouse-gas emissions, however 65per cent of the African population is considered to be directly impacted by climate change. CNBC Africa spoke to Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson of Global Environment Facility during the One Planet Summit on the best way to protect the planet’s climate.</p>


What we can do to protect planet earth – Global Environment Facility CEO

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<p>The World Bank and the African Development Bank have pledged to give more than $47billion by 2025 to help African countries tackle the effect of climate change. Desmond Majekodunmi, founder of Lufasi Urban Forest Park joins CNBC Africa to discuss climate change in Africa.</p>


World Bank & AfDB commit over $47bn for African climate finance

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<p>Africa’s poverty and hunger are on worrying levels and the continent aims to halve poverty, end hunger by 2025. However, experts believe it’s equally important to promote healthy diets to combat malnutrition and climate change. Shenggen Fan, Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


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Op-Ed: Ethiopian food and land use systems ripe for transformation

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Mozambique expected to be hit with another cyclone, what you need to know

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Are SA pension funds doing enough to fight climate change?

How African cities are run is largely shaped by everyday politics, what you need to know…

Mount Kenya expedition raises awareness on climate change – Youth Ambassador explains

What we can do to protect planet earth – Global Environment Facility CEO

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