Tuesday, August 12, 2014

UNEP urges Africa to invest in climate change adaptation

APA in StarAfrica: Investment in climate change adaptation can help ensure that the impacts of climate change do not reverse decades of development progress in Africa, according to a new report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).The report released in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Tuesday claims the adoption of climate change practices will reverse a projected 20 – 50 per cent decline in water availability.

The report titled "Keeping Track of Adaptation Actions in Africa:  Targeted Fiscal Stimulus Actions Making a Difference" is the first graphical account presenting practical examples of successful low-cost adaptation solutions from around sub-Saharan Africa in one concise handbook.

The report includes examples of successful adaptation projects that have provided the impetus for large-scale government investments and policy action. According to the report, by 2050 Africa’s population will have doubled. The continent will then be home to 2 billion people, the majority of which will still largely depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, it says.

"With 94 per cent of agriculture dependent on rainfall, the future impacts of climate change – including increased droughts, flooding, and seal-level rise – may reduce crop yields in some parts of Africa by 15 – 20 per cent," UN-Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner adds....

The Sahara in Mauritania, shot by Annabel Symington, Wikimedia Commons via Flickr, under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license 

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