Category: Africa

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Over 2 Million Kenyans Are at Risk of Starvation Due to Ongoing Drought

green leaf tree near mountain covered by snow at daytime

12 October 2021 – by Evelyn Workman

A severe drought affecting half of Kenya has led to an estimated 2.1 million people facing starvation. The National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) said people living in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) region of the country will be in “urgent need” of food aid over the next six months.

The crisis is the cumulative impact of two consecutive poor rainy seasons coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, diseases and pests, leading President Uhuru Kenyatta declaring the drought a national disaster on 8th September. 

The two previous rainy seasons, the 2020 short rains (October to December) and the 2021 long rains (March to May), were both characterised by late onset rainfall and poor distribution of rainfall, across the ASAL. Furthermore, the upcoming short rains season (October to December 2021) is forecasted to be below average, exacerbating the already deadly conditions facing people living in the region. 

Secretary general of the Kenya Red Cross, Asha Mohammed, highlighted the interplay of several factors in worsening the situation in the region, “You have two seasons of depressed rains, desert locusts ravaging farmlands in the same counties and people fighting over the few resources available. That is the making of a disaster.”

The number of people facing insecurity is expected to rise to nearly 2.4 million from November of this year, according to the latest Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) analysis. 

Due to many open water sources drying up across pastoral agricultural areas, the NDMA has reported that pastoralists have had to walk further in search of water. Household trekking distances to watering points have increased to an average of 2 to 6 kilometers, up from an average of 1 to 5 kilometers. Consequently tensions among communities have risen, as people have had to travel longer distances and along different routes in search of food and water, according to an assessment by the ASAL Humanitarian Network.

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Climate Crisis to Blame for Severe Madagascar Drought

brown grass field with green tree under blue sky during daytime

17 August 2021 – by Evelyn Workman

The worst drought in over four decades has hit southern Madagascar, leaving thousands of families on the brink of starvation, the UN food agency has warned. It reported that more than 1.14 million people are food insecure as a result of the severe droughts in the region.

According to the World Food Programme (WFP), thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes in search of food, and those who remained have been sustaining themselves on raw cactus fruits, wild leaves and locusts for several months. The district of Ambovombe is one of the worst affected areas, where global acute malnutrition rates have reached 27 percent, leaving many facing a life-threatening situation. In addition, malnutrition levels in children under five in Madagascar have almost doubled over the last four months, to a frightening 16.5 per cent. It is estimated that 14,000 people are already in catastrophic conditions, and this is expected to double to 28,000 by October. Few people have been able to access the area due to the remote location and weak road infrastructure, resulting in the delivery of aid being delayed.

World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director David Beasley, who visited the region, has said, “This is not because of war or conflict, this is because of climate change”.

Beasley has urged people to not turn their backs on the people of Madagascar, and, “to stand up, act and keep supporting the Malagasy government to hold back the tide of climate change and save lives.”

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Ethiopian Refugees Face Double Displacement As Floods Wreck Havoc Across Eastern Sudan

body of water during night time

21 June 2021 – by Atoosa Gitiforoz

Refugee shelters are being destroyed as rains begin in Sudan. Thousands of Ethiopians fleeing violence in Tigray over the past few months have found themselves facing extreme weather conditions, from scorching heat to long rains.

Climate change is responsible for the unpredictable rainfall and high temperatures across Sudan’s arid and semi-arid areas. Sudan’s already vulnerable position has made combating climate change in the country difficult; conflict, poverty and displacement limit potential investment into climate mitigation or adaptation efforts.

Heavy rains and flooding is not new to Sudan’s refugee population; last year hundreds of thousands of people were affected, which included refugees and internally displaced people.

The Sudanese government, the World Food Programme (WFP) and UN organisations (United Nations Development Programme), have made efforts to address the energy needs of refugees by creating sustainable conditions. For example, energy saving stoves and solar panels have been implemented to improve conditions for refugees. Plant drought-resistant plants are also providing food and greenery.

Despite such adaptation efforts, Sudan’s vulnerable position makes climate mitigation difficult. Preventative measures to protect refugees from further displacement and suffering are necessary to shield refugees from future floods and other climate disasters. Climate mitigation may only be possible in Sudan if vulnerability factors such as conflict and poverty are addressed, too.

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Unemployment, Migration and Climate Change in Morocco

tree in a desert field

21 June 2021 – by Atoosa Gitiforoz

On Tuesday 18th May, 2021, 6,000 migrants from Morocco swam and walked across the border to Spain. Video evidence showed Moroccan soldiers allowing migrants through security gates, sparking tensions between the two countries. The European Union stands in defence of Spain, condemning the mass incursion as a breach of borders. This comes following policy disputes over Western Sahara, which Spain maintains must be resolved via a United Nations agreement.

Migrants fled Morocco seeking economic opportunity, in pursuit of education or to flee poverty and human rights abuses. Unemployment in Morocco has been rising in recent years, with a significant rise of 2% as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Urban areas have been hit harder by unemployment compared to rural areas, although sectors across both have been affected. Whilst socio-economic crises and the pandemic are major causes of unemployment in Morocco, growing rural-urban migration – largely due to climate change, is also a factor.

Rising temperatures makes agricultural productivity more difficult. The High Commission for Planning (HCP) predicts that by 2050 only 15% of Morocco’s population will live in non-urban areas; this compares to 40% in 2018. With rural populations shrinking, (both water scarcity and floods causing a decline in agricultural production and an increase in poverty) a growing urban population needs employment.

Unemployment is particularly high amongst the youth in Morocco (1,500 of the 6000 migrants last Tuesday were teenagers). Green job initiatives is one channel to reduce unemployment whilst implementing climate adaptation measures; Morocco’s recent shifts to renewable energy is to help boost labour employment according to the Forum Euro Mediterraneen des Instituts de Sciences Economiques. 

Morocco has taken numerous commitments to combat climate change via adaptation initiatives such as the Green Generation 2020-2030 plan – to support the agricultural sector through water irrigation and reducing dependence on rain-fed farming. Water irrigation projects are expected to save 2.4bn metres of water by 2030. On-going protection of rural areas is vital for agricultural livelihoods that make up 34% of employment. The links between climate change, rural-urban domestic migration, unemployment and cross-border migration requires further investigation; such as the percentage of rural verses urban migrants leaving their home country, Morocco.

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Unprecedented Floods Displace Thousands in Kenya’s Rift Valley

22 May 2021 – by Ben St. Laurent

An article published in TIME by Aryn Baker offers a harrowing glimpse into how climate change is destroying the lives of residents in Kenya’s Rift Valley. Unprecedented precipitation over the past decade has already demolished homes, businesses, and lives – many of which are now entirely submerged by expanding lakes. According to Baker, thousands from this region have already been displaced by climate change. Evelyn Ajuang has been forced to relocate from her rural home on the edge of Lake Nakuru, to the nearby city just a few kilometres away. She spoke with TIME about the impact that relocation has had on her way of life, and the risks it poses for her future.

The residents of Rift Valley are urging their leaders to implement policies that better prepare cities for the emerging wave of climate migrants and prevent the crisis from developing further. According to Baker’s article, many major cities have already “launched programs to build climate resilience while making sure new arrivals have opportunities for both safe housing and fair employment.” Cities in Bangladesh have innovatively planned physical and social migration infrastructure in anticipation of the already increasing flow of migrants into more urban areas. But most cities in developing countries often lack the budget to build the infrastructure needed to accommodate the influx of migrants.

Climate migration experts — such as Alex Randall of the Climate and Migration Coalition (UK), Saleemul Huq of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (Dhaka), and Vittoria Zanuso of the Mayors Migration Council — insist that more international investment be directed towards climate adaptation in developing countries. Baker points out that urbanization can create opportunities for residents and foster economic development for countries, but it can also “create unprecedented mega-slums” if cities don’t plan properly or lack the resources to do so.

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Africa’s Leaders Hold COVID-Climate Emergency Summit

14 April 2021 – by Atoosa Gitiforoz

A virtual Climate Emergency Summit, held on the 6th April ’21, hosted by the African Development Bank and Global Centre on Adaptation, saw representatives discuss the challenges of COVID-19 alongside climate change across Africa.

Africa’s leaders called for a scaling-up of finances to combat the effects of climate change across the continent, warning that the COVID-19 crisis has halted climate adaptation efforts.

Gabon President Ali Bongo Ondimba, said: “Every day the thunderstorms seem more violent. Flooding is more frequent and droughts are more severe,” he said. “Crops are failing. People are being forced to flee their homes (and) becoming climate refugees.”

The summit heard that adaptation and resilience finance accounts for only 20 per cent of total climate finance flows. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged G7 members, developed nations and Multilateral and National Development Banks to increase their allocation of climate finance for adaptation and resilience to a minimum of 50 per cent.

Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), pointed out that “Just 3% of international climate finance is reaching the continent“, arguing that developed nations have a responsibility to support Africa, given that despite the continent being the lowest emitter of carbon, it faces some of the worst consequences of climate change.

Whilst various climate adaptation efforts by countries across Africa and the AfDB have gone a long way to protect lives and livelihoods (such as green job initiatives, heat-tolerant wheat farms and large-scale land restorations), much more needs to be done through climate adaptation and resilience initiatives to support nations subject to sea level rise, coastal erosion and other climate change related effects.

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An Uncertain Future for Migrant Farmers in Ghana

1 April 2021 – by Benjamin St. Laurent

A recent study has examined the plight of rural migrant farmers in Ghana who continue to face the realities of climate change. For decades, Ghanaian farmers have left their homes in the Upper West Region for the prospect of better agricultural conditions in the Brong-Ahafo Region. They have made this journey hundreds of miles south due to worsening soil conditions and declining rainfall volume and frequency which has led to a lack of food security. The 5th Assessment Report of the IPCC predicts, with high confidence, that mean precipitation will decline in mid-latitude subtropical dry regions such as Ghana’s Northern semi-arid climate.

The Brong-Ahafo Region is a hub for agricultural production in Ghana and has historically provided migrants with employment opportunities. But climate change has led to declining agricultural conditions in this region as well. As in many developing countries, agriculture has shifted from staple crops to cash crops that can be exported, such as Cocoa. According to the MIT Observatory of Economic Complexity, between 2014 and 2019 Cocoa exports declined 20.5% ($664M USD) while precious metal, gem, and mineral exports increased significantly.

Baada, Baruah, and Luginaah discussed the realities these migrant farmers faced in Brong Ahafo through interviews and focus group discussions and reported that “premigration hopes of improving their lives in the middle-belt had not been matched by the postmigration realities”. Migrant farmers, especially women, often lack access to farming resources, land, and social capital when they arrive. While seemingly bleak, the authors of this study identify a number of potential solutions including providing migrants with equitable access to land tenure and farming resources, as well as creating alternative employment opportunities in the Upper West Region, where farming has already become increasingly difficult.

Sources

Baada, J., Baruah, B., & Luginaah, I. (2020). Looming crisis – changing climatic conditions in Ghana’s breadbasket: the experiences of agrarian migrants. Development In Practice, 1-14. doi: 10.1080/09614524.2020.1854184 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09614524.2020.1854184

IPCC, 2014: Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, R.K. Pachauri and L.A. Meyer (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, p. 60. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/syr/

OEC. (2021). Ghana (GHA) Exports, Imports, and Trade Partners. Retrieved 30 March 2021, from https://oec.world/en/profile/country/gha/

Baada, J., Baruah, B., & Luginaah, I. (2021). Climate change is affecting agrarian migrant livelihoods in Ghana. This is how. Retrieved 29 March 2021, from https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-affecting-agrarian-migrant-livelihoods-in-ghana-this-is-how-156212

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Intensification of Heatwaves in the Middle East and North Africa Could be a Significant Driver of Migration From the Region

30 March 2021 – by Evelyn Workman

Extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, will become increasingly common in the future, as our climate continues to warm. More and more scientific research is being carried in this field, due to the potential devastating consequences to humans as a result of more frequent and more severe heatwaves. One recently published paper within this field has found that, unless greenhouse gas emissions are significantly curbed, life-threatening and extreme heatwaves will be observed in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and could be a significant driver for mass migration to cooler northern regions in the future.

The study, “Business-as-usual will lead to super and ultra-extreme heatwaves in the Middle East and North Africa” published in the journal npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, used a multi-model ensemble of climate projections, and then predicted future heatwaves and characterised them with the Heat Wave Magnitude Index. The results indicate that, under a business-as-usual pathway (greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase at present day rates) unprecedented super- and ultra-extreme heatwaves will develop in MENA in the second half of this century. The study predicts the events will involve temperatures exceeding 56 °C and will last for several weeks at a time, leading to life-threatening conditions for humans. In addition, by the end of the century, about half of the MENA population could be exposed to these ultra-extreme heatwaves on an annual basis. This potential intensification of heatwaves in MENA could lead to increased migration from the region to cooler, more northern places. 

The authors suggest that immediate and drastic action on climate change, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, are necessary to prevent such extreme heatwave events from occurring. In addition, they also suggest that cities in the area will have to develop adaptation solutions to cope with the greater prevalence and severity of heatwaves in the area. 

Sources

George Zittis, Panos Hadjinicolaou, Mansour Almazroui, Edoardo Bucchignani, Fatima Driouech, Khalid El Rhaz, Levent Kurnaz, Grigory Nikulin, Athanasios Ntoumos, Tugba Ozturk, Yiannis Proestos, Georgiy Stenchikov, Rashyd Zaaboul, Jos Lelieveld. Business-as-usual will lead to super and ultra-extreme heatwaves in the Middle East and North Africa. npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, 2021; 4 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41612-021-00178-7