African countries urged to do more on climate change

Accra. Kenya has been cited as one of the countries with the best climate change policy in Africa, but the country has not implemented it to help it protect itself from adverse weather.

Failure to implement the policy of 2016 effectively has been blamed as one of the reasons why some residents of Turkana in the country have been affected by drought and hunger.

Speaking at the Weather Week in Accra, the executive director of the Panafrican Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) Mathika Mwenda said African countries were still unaware of the effects of climate change.

He said Kenya has been receiving money from the climate fund, which was not being used for the intended purpose, a situation that put the government at odds with civil society organisations.

“The hunger in Turkana County, Kenya, could have been dealt with if the government had implemented the climate change law of 2016,”said Mr Mwendwa.

Mwenda who has been named among 100 influential policy makers in climate change in 2019, said Africa was adversely affected despite producing the smallest amount of carbon. He called on industrialised nations to reduce the amount of emissions.

“The agreement on forming ‘Carbon zincs’ for Africa will not help its countries if they fail to deal with climate change as there have been such deals as Qiotal and Paris before,”said Mr Mwenda.

However, he said he was happy for the global recognition he was receiving, but added that he wished to see greater involvement of Africans on climate matters

The director general of the Econimic Community of West African States (Ecowas), Mr Mahama Kappiah it was difficult for African states to implement their policies even though they had created them.

Mr Kappiah called on African countries to invest in renewable energy sources to make it easier for them to access funding from the World Bank and other international banks to help the continent.