This is the 34th post in a blog series to be published in 2021 by the Secretariat on behalf of the AU High-Level Panel on Emerging Technologies (APET) and the Calestous Juma Executive Dialogues (CJED)

Africa has joined global efforts in addressing climate change through environmentally friendly and sustainable socio-economic activities. The continent is combating climate change through efforts summarised within the Sustainable Development Goal Number 13 (SDG-13) and the African Union's Agenda 2063 Goal Number 7.[1] Africa is inclined towards accomplishing environmentally sustainable development, climate-resilient economies, and well-balanced communities.[2] In addition, several African countries have adopted the Paris Agreement that aspires to limit global temperature rises to well below 2°C.[3]

Such efforts and frameworks have been developed to curb the negative impacts of climate change, such as declining biodiversity, fauna emigration in search of better environments, and decreasing freshwater availability.[4] For example, climate change has also increased the occurrence of infectious diseases that have since resurfaced recently.[5] Fundamentally, climate change variables have resulted in vector breeding, survival of vectors, increased biting rates, and faster parasite incubation rates. As such, the climate change variables are affecting vector and parasite biology, and thereby increasing disease transmission.[6] Globally, temperature increases between 2ºC and 3ºC would increase the number of people who, in climatic terms, are at risk of malaria by approximately 3% to 5%; i.e., several hundred million people being infected globally, more especially in Africa. Therefore, climate-induced changes in ground cover and surface water in Africa are impacting mosquitoes and tsetse flies. Hence, malaria and African sleeping sickness occurrences are increasing in Africa.

Climate change is caused by the rapid deforestation that is currently being observed across the continent.[7] Forests are known to provide an important defence mechanism against climate change because trees convert carbon dioxide into oxygen through photosynthesis. Thus, deforestation reduces the forests' capacity to absorb carbon dioxide that exists within the atmosphere. The reduction of greenhouse gases is a priority across the world to reduce atmospheric pollution and depletion of the ozone layer. In 2020, South Africa's Environmental Department estimated that South Africa emitted approximately 556 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2017.[8] Of the total, 84.75% was carbon dioxide, 9.28% from methane, 4.81% from nitrous oxide, and 1.16% from fluorinated gasses.[9] Therefore, relevant efforts to reduce such emissions should be put in place.

Furthermore, due to the fluctuating weather patterns, rising sea levels, and floods, socio-economic activities such as agriculture have become difficult in Africa. This is because Africa's agricultural activities are rain-dependent, with minimal irrigation infrastructure in place. [10] Therefore, resources and infrastructure that are needed for Africa's agriculture are needed to enhance the continent's sustainability, as the sector is employing approximately 70% of the population. This can also increase Africa's food security and wealth.[11]

Notably, agricultural and fishery activities are vastly reliant on the climate. Therefore, when the temperature rises due to increased carbon dioxide emissions, this may impact some crop yields. The increments may impact soil nutrient levels, soil moisture, water availability, and other conditions that are detrimental to crops growth.[12] Furthermore, the changes in the frequency and severity of droughts and floods are challenging African farmers and ranchers and subsequently threatening Africa's food safety.[13] Meanwhile, warmer water temperatures are most likely to encourage the emigration of fish and shellfish species from their usual habitat ranges into much cooler aquatic environments. Consequently, such aquatic emigration occurrences may disrupt ecosystems within aquatic environments.

Generally, climate change is making it difficult for African farmers to cultivate crops, rear animals, and capture fish based on previously established practices and patterns because of the unpredictable climate changes. Thus, the impacts of climate change should be considered along with other evolving factors that affect agricultural production, such as changes in farming practices and climate-smart agriculture technologies. This is because, for any crop, the effect of rising temperatures will temper with the crop's optimal temperature conditions against their growth and reproduction. In some areas, warm temperatures may benefit the types of crops that are typically planted under warm conditions. Therefore, this calls for African farmers to refocus their efforts towards crops that favour warmer temperatures. On the contrary, if temperatures can exceed the crop's optimum temperature, the yields may begin to decline.

To combat the effects of climate change on agriculture, the African High-Level Panel on Emerging Technologies (APET) is encouraging African countries to consider Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) systems and techniques. By adopting and promoting these CSA systems among African farmers, Africa's farming strategies can be transformed and reoriented towards decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and boosting the farmer's adaptive capacity. In addition, CSA systems can enhance agricultural production while supporting incomes and, presumably, food security.

APET recognises that several African countries have been promoting and adopting CSA systems for their farming activities in recognition of the effects of global warming and climate change. For example, beekeeping Ogiek farmers in Kenya have experienced low honey yields and have traded in limited markets lately. Consequently, to enhance beekeeping production, these farmers have adopted environmental and forest conservation techniques. Consequently, this has gradually enhanced their honey production capacity and has allowed their agribusiness to expand considerably. Fundamentally, the farmers' efforts towards planting more trees have not only rejuvenated the forests as they act as a natural carbon dioxide exchange system for oxygen but also produce flowers that facilitate the growth of bees.[14] In addition, to increase value, the Ogiek beekeepers are processing their honey for value addition purposes, as compared to selling raw honey.

Uganda has also observed negative impacts on the country's coffee production and exportation outputs. Thus, to combat the negative effects of climate change by enabling and improving the country's coffee industry, Ugandan farmers are utilising the shade technique.[15] Such a technique mitigates the impact of climate change by shading existing coffee plants. This shading technique changes the micro-climate of coffee trees. Subsequently, this reduces the temperatures around coffee growing areas by 2 °C to 5 °C.[16] In addition, shade trees such as bananas can further generate more income for the farmers. Notably, the shading trees such as bananas can absorb extra carbon in the form of methane from the soil and reduce drought challenges.[17]

Notably, the Ethiopian government has increased efforts towards a resilient and low-carbon economy by 2030.[18] To achieve this aspiration, the Ethiopian government has conducted soil sample analyses in all the country's farming districts. Consequently, this analysed data has generated soil nutrient maps for Ethiopia. This soil nutrients map has enabled Ethiopia to classify their nutrient-deficient soils. The country can categorically recommend fertilisers for their crops on essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, sulphur, boron, zinc, iron, and copper. Further to this, Ethiopia can identify highly acidic soils that require rehabilitation with soil nutrients and pH boosters such as lime and fertilisers. As a result, this has not only improved farming practices but also reduced greenhouse gas emissions.[19]

APET recognises that the African society ought to be resilient and sustainably develop the continent's agricultural capacity and economy. Therefore, urgently addressing climate change-related challenges through modern climate-smart agricultural techniques to restrain greenhouse gas emissions and improve agricultural outputs remain imperative. Therefore, APET is advising African countries to systematically and strategically adopt localised climate-smart agricultural techniques that are relevant to national and regional realities so to build a sustainable Africa. Most importantly, Africa's public and private sectors should collaboratively accelerate the adoption of CSA techniques. This can be accomplished by creating a conducive and enabling environment for affordable technologies for African farmers. Therefore, adopting and adapting CSA techniques can enable the continent to achieve the AU's Agenda 2063, "The Africa We Want", through smart agriculture.

 

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[1] https://www.africa.undp.org/content/rba/en/home/sustainable-development-goals.html.

[2] https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/136704/PAPER220.pdf.

[3] https://www.environment.gov.za/mediarelease/southafricasignsparisagreementonclimate.

[4] Dejene W. Sintayehu (2018) Impact of climate change on biodiversity and associated key ecosystem services in Africa: A Systematic Review, Ecosystem Health and Sustainability, 4:9, 225-239, DOI: 10.1080/20964129.2018.1530054.

[5] J. A. Patz, A. K. Githeko, J. P. McCarty, S. Hussein, U. Confalonieri, N. de Wet, CHAPTER 6 Climate change and infectious diseases. https://www.who.int/globalchange/publications/climatechangechap6.pdf.

[6] https://www.who.int/globalchange/climate/en/chapter6.pdf.

[7]https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232186127_CLIMATE_CHANGE_CAUSES_AND_EFFECTS_ON_AFRICAN_AGRICULTURE

[8] https://www.polity.org.za/article/south-africa-the-12th-biggest-source-of-greenhouse-gases-yes-but-thats-not-the-only-measure-that-matters-2021-04-19.

[9] https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/climate-smart-agriculture/0/steps/26564.

[10]https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/climate-smart-agriculture/0/steps/26565.

[11] https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/622181504179504144/pdf/119228-WP-PUBLIC-CSA-in-Africa.pdf.

[12] https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-agriculture-and-food-supply_.html.

[13] https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/climate-change-and-agriculture.

[14] https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/622181504179504144/pdf/119228-WP-PUBLIC-CSA-in-Africa.pdf.

[15] https://www.ndf.int/newsroom/growing-resilient-agricultural-enterprises.html.

[16]https://cgspace.cgiar.org/bitstream/handle/10568/101331/Uganda%20Coffee%20brief.pdf.

[17] http://www.fao.org/3/i6030e/i6030e.pdf.

[18] https://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/articles/how-ethiopia-is-slowing-climate-change-by-reviving-its-forests-and-its-economy/.

[19] https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/622181504179504144/pdf/119228-WP-PUBLIC-CSA-in-Africa.pdf.