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ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA – At least 15 billion dollars a year up to 2030 is the amount the continent needs to increase its capacity to adapt to and mitigate climate change, outgoing African Union Commissioner Josefa Correia Sacko said.
The Ambassador, who made a name for herself during two terms in the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, warned at the meeting of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) that if the planet warms by 2 degrees Celsius, climate change could cost African countries 50 billion dollars a year by 2050.
“It is, therefore, essential to act now to mitigate the risks and prepare for the impact of climate change,” she emphasised.
The diplomat emphasised these points on the sidelines of the 38th Summit of Heads of State and Government, which ended on Sunday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, that Africa remains one of the most vulnerable regions in the world to the impacts of climate change with the adverse effects of rising temperatures, rising sea levels and extreme weather events on the continent.
The outgoing AU Commissioner pointed out that African countries face several challenges in implementing their nationally determined contributions, national adaptation plans, and effective monitoring systems for their climate actions.
Josefa Sacko said that some of the critical constraints include limited data, technology, infrastructure, and financial gaps, as the current funding instruments available do not match the scale of the needs to support the strategies and frameworks of African Union member states.
For this reason, Josefa Sacko says that African countries are likely to suffer more frequent and severe droughts, floods, and heat waves, which could lead to food and water shortages, the displacement of people, and the loss of biodiversity.
On the other hand, outgoing Commissioner Josefa Sacko held an audience with the President of the Republic of Mozambique, Daniel Chapo, to discuss issues related to this evil that is plaguing the continent, in which Mozambique takes on the role of Africa’s champion of natural disaster risk management on the continent, replacing his compatriot Filipe Nuysi, who had been appointed at the 35th Summit of Heads of State and Government.
