By Laurie Goering
LONDON, April 6 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – From heat-resistant crops to insurance that helps nations rebuild after a disaster, efforts to adapt to growing climate risks are taking root in Africa – but the work is too slow and is now threatened by COVID-19, African leaders warned Tuesday.
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Just 3% of international climate finance is reaching the continent, Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), told an online meeting seeking advice from African heads of state on how to accelerate adaptation.
Secretary-General Calls for Massive Scale-Up of Climate Adaptation in Africa, Urging Leaders’ Dialogue to Seize ‘Once-in-a-Generation’ Opportunity
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Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the Leaders’ Dialogue on the Africa COVID-Climate Emergency, today:
I thank the African Development Bank and the Global Center on Adaptation for convening us today. As the world confronts a pandemic, a recession and a climate crisis, the United Nations climate conference, COP26, in November, provides a compelling opportunity for Africa to turn ambition into reality.
In that context, it is clear that we need a breakthrough on adaptation. I would like to highlight five imperatives for that to be possible.
Apr 6, 2021 11:37 am
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) African leaders rallied Tuesday in a virtual summit calling for scaled-up actions and financing to combat the effects of climate change that are already being felt in the continent of 1.3 billion.
The Leaders’ Dialogue on the Africa COVID-Climate Emergency saw representatives discussing the twin challenges of facing the pandemic alongside climate change.
“Africa remains a continent with immense opportunities if we act now to contain the pandemic, deal with the serious debt burdens and work on plans and tools to tackle climate change,” said the newly appointed World Trade Organization chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Presidents from Congo, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Kenya and other countries talked about the need for support to accelerate the effort against climate change, which has affected food security, and health on the continent.
Akinwumi Adesina: More people likely to die of hunger than COVID-19 in Africa
April 06
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He spoke on Tuesday at the Leaders’ Dialogue on Africa COVID-Climate Emergency event organised by the bank and the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA).
Adesina said it is important to improve food security in rural and urban communities, particularly with the coronavirus outbreak.
According to Adesina, medicines and vaccines cannot work without food.
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He said: “I think that the risks are probably much higher for many in Africa to die from hunger than COVID-19 pandemic. So, we must boost access to food and good nutrition because vaccines are important but only nutrition can sustain.”
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