Robust Measures Urged To Curb Temperature Rise in Africa

The University of Nairobi’s Institute for Climate Change and Adaptation (ICCA) on Tuesday urged governments to put solid measures in place to curb the rise in temperatures given that Africa could suffer water stress due to overheating.

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"Hot weather might result in further droughts culminating in food insecurity among other devastating agricultural impacts," the ICCA Director Shem Wandiga said.

Currently, climate change is a leading cause of food insecurity and malnutrition in Africa. In 2017 alone, droughts left 12.8 million people in Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Somalia food insecure.

African governments have many options to cut down on their carbon dioxide emissions including the use of cleaner energies such as solar and geothermal.

"Others include putting up commuter railroad system to reduce the need to drive, stop deforestation, and encourage the planting of trees," Wandiga said and recommended the use of methane as it produces less carbon dioxide. To attract its use, however, there should be political and economic incentives.

"African countries have to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by all means as everybody is being affected," Wandiga recalled.

"With the temperature in the last decade rising by over one degree and resulting in a warmer climate, heat levels will remain the same or even hotter in some places," he added and stressed that the continuous rise of atmospheric temperature globally is a worrying trend that should not be taken lightly.

On Thursday, Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta also called on African governments to develop a common position ahead of this year's United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), as reported by CGTN.