Cape Town — Scientists have once again given humanity a stark and urgent warning about the impact of human activity on the planet and the conditions necessary for human survival.
The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a new report on February 28, 2022.
The IPCC provides "policymakers with regular scientific assessments on climate change, its implications and potential future risks, as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation options".
But as the world's scientists confirm the extreme risks humanity faces if governments, companies and people do not act together in our own best interests, are the policy makers listening?
According to the report, increased heatwaves, droughts and floods are already exceeding plants' and animals' tolerance thresholds, driving mass mortalities in species such as trees and corals. These weather extremes are occurring simultaneously, causing cascading impacts that are increasingly difficult to manage. "This report is a dire warning about the consequences of inaction," said Hoesung Lee, Chair of the IPCC.
UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres has again spoken about the urgent need to divest from fossil fuels in both developed and developing countries. This comes after accusations of hypocrisy from some on the African continent, responding to an announcement by more developed economies they would no longer support coal power abroad, while not at the same time reducing their own local reliance on fossil fuels and in some cases even ramping up production.
"Today's report underscores two core truths. First, coal and other fossil fuels are choking humanity. All G20 governments have agreed to stop funding coal abroad, they must now urgently do the same at home and dismantle their coal fleets," Gutteres said.
He added that "those in the private sector still financing coal must be held to account".
But we are not without hope
The United Nations has declared this the decade of ecosystem regeneration, which means "assisting in the recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded or destroyed, as well as conserving the ecosystems that are still intact".
This is the second "core truth" of the report - investments in adaptation to climate change are showing promise.
"Healthy ecosystems are more resilient to climate change and provide life-critical services such as food and clean water", said IPCC Working Group II Co-Chair Hans-Otto Pörtner.
"By restoring degraded ecosystems and effectively and equitably conserving 30 to 50% of Earth's land, freshwater and ocean habitats, society can benefit from nature's capacity to absorb and store carbon, and we can accelerate progress towards sustainable development, but adequate finance and political support are essential."
Africa's agriculture is already suffering some of the worst effects of the climate crisis, as the continent is warming at a much higher rate than others parts of the planet, according to a 2021 report by the World Meteorological Organization, the African Union Commission and other partners.
Sustainable agricultural practices offer subsistence and commercial farmers a way to diversify their operations and adapt to some of the shocks.
Agroforestry is one such approach. It is an approach to sustainable farming that is quickly spreading around the globe, transforming the way food is produced. Agroforestry is the practice of growing trees, shrubs, herbs, and vegetables together, that mimics a forest in order to sequester climate-warming carbon while feeding people and maintaining biodiversity. But it also requires a variety of support services, such as advice on specific practices that work with each farm's conditions; weather forecasts; and technical assistance.
Dr. Esther Ngumbi and Kendi Muthomi, both scientists working in the field of food security, offer some solutions towards dealing with recurring drought in the Horn of Africa.
"To survive the recurrent drought episodes, Africa will need concerted regional efforts to accurately predict floods and droughts. This means having reliable drought monitoring and forecasting systems for water resources, soil moisture, ground water availability and food security," they write.
"Research has shown that when droughts are monitored, and timely seasonal forecasts provided, drought risk is manageable. Unfortunately, developing countries in the Horn of Africa are limited in their monitoring capacity right now largely because of unreliable monitoring networks, limited access to information and technology, low institutional capacity, as well as a lack of national policies on drought mitigation".
They suggest working with existing satellite-based monitoring systems and developing training programmes to equip African scientists to monitor these systems in the long term. They also recommend diversifying the livelihoods of farmers, using more efficient technologies such as improved rainwater-harvesting technologies and optimised irrigation systems.
IPCC Working Group II Co-Chair Debra Roberts says that cities offer both a challenge and an opportunity for change. "Together, growing urbanization and climate change create complex risks, especially for those cities that already experience poorly planned urban growth, high levels of poverty and unemployment, and a lack of basic services".
"But cities also provide opportunities for climate action - green buildings, reliable supplies of clean water and renewable energy, and sustainable transport systems that connect urban and rural areas can all lead to a more inclusive, fairer society."
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Oxfam's Climate Policy Lead Nafkote Dabi responded to the release of the report.
"Inequality is at the heart of today's climate crisis - in the little over 100 days since COP26, the richest 1% of the world's population have emitted much more carbon than the population of Africa does in an entire year.
"Only a fourth of all climate finance to vulnerable countries is for adaptation.
"The recent agreement at COP26 to double adaptation finance to $40 billion by 2025 will help, but it's nowhere near enough. The UN estimates that developing countries need $70 billion every year to adapt, and those costs are not falling. Rich countries are overwhelmingly responsible for the climate crisis and must do more to support the poorest communities whose citizens struggle to meet their daily needs let alone prepare for the future."
IPCC Working Group II Co-Chair Debra Roberts says that everyone will need to step up to reduce risks, adapt to climate changes and ensure that it’s done in a fair and transparent manner. “Our assessment clearly shows that tackling all these different challenges involves everyone - governments, the private sector, civil society - working together to prioritize risk reduction, as well as equity and justice, in decision-making and investment".
