Climate funding is needed for green growth

AAA

 

While the African continent is most affected by the impacts of climate change such as droughts, sudden temperature variations, extreme rainfall or other weather related hazards, it is also most vulnerable to these threats. In the future, this will result in devastating consequences on agriculture, food security and local people’s livelihoods (AAA 2016, 20).

It has been widely argued that investment is needed in fostering Africa’s capability of climate change adaption. In the opinion article by Bruce Campbell (Director of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security), he stresses the need for climate funding in the agricultural sector. 

A very important point is made – that climate adaption does not only cost money, but will also lead to economic benefits: A study by the International Fund for Agricultural Development showed that investment in climate-sensitive approaches for smallholder farmers will more than double farmers incomes (Campbell 2016). 

To me, this means that investing in climate adaption of rural people is a vital component of 

green growth. The OECD has defined green growth as 

'fostering economic growth and development, while ensuring that natural assets continue to provide the resources and environmental services on which our well-being relies. To do this, it must catalyse investment and innovation which will underpin sustained growth and give rise to new economic opportunities’ (OECD 2013).  

Investing in climate adaption strategies provides the means of creating a sustainable agricultural sector, which is the very basis of Africa’s economy. Sustaining and improving the agricultural sector in the face of climate change will therefore foster economic growth and development on the long term.

Three core adaption areas are in need of funding - sustainable soil management, climate risk reduction and improved water management. These areas have also been addressed by the AAA initiative, a project launched by the Moroccan government seeking to mobilise 30bn dollars to enable climate change adaptions strategies.

In this blog I already touched upon the topic of ‘Water management’ for climate change adaption. In the next posts, I will talk about ‘Adaptive Soil Management’ and ‘Climate Risk Reduction’.

Resources:

 

AAA, (2016). THE INITIATIVE FOR THE ADAPTATION OF AFRICAN AGRICULTURE TO CLIMATE CHANGE.[online] Available at: http://www.aaainitiative.org/sites/aaainitiative.org/files/AAA_livre%20blanc_ENG.pdf [

 

Campbell, Bruce (2016): „Why direct climate funding to African farmers will pay off“. Financial Times. 2016.

 

IFAD (2016): The economic advantage: Assessing the value of climate-change actions in agriculture. International Fund for Agricultural Development (Investing in rural people).

 

OECD (2013). Putting Green Growth at the Heart of Development. OECD Green Growth Studies, OECD Publishing, Paris.