{"id":8707,"date":"2023-12-20T09:39:21","date_gmt":"2023-12-20T06:39:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/?p=8707"},"modified":"2024-01-09T22:07:16","modified_gmt":"2024-01-09T19:07:16","slug":"a-new-wave-of-african-climate-change-disputes-on-the-horizon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cfwt.sua.ac.tz\/ecosystems\/news\/a-new-wave-of-african-climate-change-disputes-on-the-horizon","title":{"rendered":"A new wave of African climate change disputes on the horizon"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the past decade, climate change disputes numbers have been consistently rising. But this phenomenon has only marginally affected Africa so far, as most disputes have been located in North America, Europe and Australia. This is a paradox, given the impact climate change has and will have on the African continent. And indeed, African states are paving the way to implement measures to combat the adverse effects of climate change<\/a>. Such endeavors may collide with the continent’s aspirations for economic growth. The resulting conflicts, in turn, may trigger disputes both before local courts and international arbitral tribunals.<\/p>\n

\"GrowthView full image: Growth of climate litigation as represented in UNEP\u2019s 2017, 2020 and 2023 litigation reports (PDF)<\/a><\/div>\n

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African states are paving the way to combat the adverse effects of climate change<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

A perfect template for climate change disputes<\/h2>\n

Climate change poses significant challenges to Africa<\/a>. According to the World Meteorological Organization, the average rate of warming in Africa was +0.3 \u00b0C\/decade during the 1991 \u2013 2022 period, compared to +0.2 \u00b0C\/decade between 1961 and 1990. This is slightly above the global average. The warming has been most rapid in North Africa, which was gripped by extreme heat, e.g., fueling wildfires<\/a> in Algeria and Tunisia in 2022. Climate change not only leads to increased<\/a> temperatures, but also to changing rainfall patterns and more frequent extreme weather events. All these phenomena impact agriculture, water resources<\/a> and biodiversity. Climate change can also exacerbate the spread of diseases such as malaria and impact public<\/a> health infrastructure. Similarly, changes in temperature can affect energy demand and the availability of hydropower resources, which many African countries<\/a> rely on. Finally, extreme weather events<\/a> can damage roads, bridges and buildings, affecting transportation and economic development.<\/p>\n

Sub-Saharan African countries are especially vulnerable because of limited resources for adaptation<\/a> and a high dependence on climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, hydropower energy and tourism.<\/p>\n

As a result, efforts to address climate change in Africa<\/a> involve adaptation strategies, renewable energy development and international cooperation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n

Accordingly, African heads of state and government gathered for the inaugural Africa Climate<\/a> Summit (ACS) in Nairobi, Kenya, from September 4 to 6, 2023, and released a declaration by which they called for, among other things:<\/p>\n

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US$2.8 trillion<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Implementing Africa\u2019s Nationally<\/a> Determined Contributions (NDCs) will require up to US$2.8 trillion between 2020 and 2030<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n