The leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have agreed to a regional strategy to deal with global warming over the next decade. Members of the regional organization, in concurrence with the European Union, plan to spend $294 billion over the next 10 years to meet the challenges of climate change.
“Between 2020 and 2030, we estimate (the necessary expenditure) to be about $294 billion,” Sekou Sangare, the ECOWAS commissioner for agriculture, environment and water resources said April 29 during a press conference in Accra.
He said the strategy also aims to raise awareness about adopting new lifestyles to help combat global warming and calls for the cooperation of regional institutions, the 15 member states of ECOWAS, their partners and civil society actors. It also aims for a regional policy that is compatible with the Paris climate agreement. The workshop represents the final stage of the ECOWAS Commission’s 1st Regional Climate Strategy formulation process.
Coastal degradation and erosion are major challenges, particularly in West Africa, according to the annual State of the Climate Report 2019. About 56% of the coasts of Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Togo are affected by erosion, a phenomenon that’s predicted to increase.
Some tea growers in Kenya are shifting to produce other crops as climate change threatens tea plantation in the country. Once a hub to perfect tea-growing conditions, the world’s largest black tea exporter is now seeing the effects of climate change.
A May 2021 report by Charity Christian Aid said by 2050, the changing climate will slash Kenya’s optimal tea production conditions by over a quarter, hurting farmers and workers alike.
SOURCE: AfricaNews.com