Climate Change & Management of Natural Resources

BIRIKA Naomi,Kenya,RITD Great question Naomi! What is happening in Nairobi echoes a broader challenge that has been identified across many African cities including this very city we are standing on, Addis Ababa! The water demand in many cities can no longer be met by the supply, and climate change is not making it easy for us with the changes in hydrological processes. When surface water is no longer enough, groundwater is often deemed as the next possible solution, and we do not stop to think what will happen when the ground water is depleted too! I think its high time we looked into other innovative solutions such as rain water harvesting. Another promising approach is the use of unconventional water resources, such as wastewater reuse and recycling.

Importantly, the water agenda should be mainstreamed into economic development strategies and urban planning processes, recognizing water not only as a social service but also as a critical driver of productivity, public health, and sustainable growth. By embedding water considerations into city master plans, housing policies, and industrial development strategies, we can ensure that future economic expansion and urbanization are matched with resilient, equitable, and sustainable water systems. I cannot over-emphasize the need to build strong institutional collaboration and cross-sectoral integration. Fragmented responsibilities across agencies have hindered cities’ ability to respond to growing water challenges.

And yes, The Africa Water Vision 2025 does acknowledge the challenges posed by the depletion of water tables in cities across the continent. The vision emphasizes the importance of integrated water resources management, which considers both water supply and demand. CFND is currently involved in the drafting and updating of this policy, The Africa Water Vision 2063 alongside AMCOW, a process which I am grateful to be a part of. I will share the policy once its been finalized! As the saying goes “Building a nation is building reliable and good institutions” and institutions or stakeholders are very important building blocks for effective and efficient development. The governance gaps, require not only technical solutions but also institutional reforms that empower local actors, integrate traditional knowledge, and foster inclusive decision-making for long-term water security to implement the vision.

It’s inspiring to witness Climate Week! The focus on turning commitments into actions, particularly during the Implementation Forum (Sept 3–4), reflects the emerging leadership of climate action in Africa. Looking forward to outcomes feeding into ACS2 and COP30 and beyond

Thank you for sharing this! I love this game.

I managed to result the global warming to 1.87C, of course, did not get to the desired 1.5C but in line with Paris agreement; I managed to keep the world from melting away. am a firm believer that policies that are not people-friendly are not policy-worthy. This helped me in the game and was likewise my woe in this game. So, you have to know when to call the shot, how long it should be, how wide and when not to call it at all. Policymaking and enacting are not piece of cake and indeed as Thomas Sankara said: Governance is not a rocket science.

To combat climate change, we have to take action NOW; not gradual!

I have worked and participated on climate change related work and research. There are several issues hindering the need for climate change sustainability. For Uganda, there remains minimal comprehensive knowledge about climate change related mechanisms at community level. The usual projects like planting trees, making briquettes, are undertaken on a very small scale. Policy majorly ends in conference rooms and workshops with less to no involvement or operationalization of climate change attributes across affected communities.

Lived realities: For example, Mt. Rwenzori glaciers continue to deplete. The only mountain with snow yet the Equator passes through. It inhabits unique species that continue to go extinct. Yet, due to climate change, and extreme heat, the glaciers are vanishing. During rainy seasons, extreme floods affect Uganda and DRC........

At a small scale, we see restoration of lost species, leveraging bee keeping, and managing population growth. This is a long path to change. But, amidst the different strategies, if we leverage on cross-border climate change interventions, we could push further.

I agree with your observation and everyone else's. While we focus on the macro level analyses, my input would be to suggest at also looking at the micro level analyses - to improve mitigation. By doing this, this shoulders the problem of corruption in Africa- where regardless of climate finance that could be made available, the vulnerable rarely benefit from this (ofcourse while bearing the burden of debt repayment arising from climate finance). In my research, i focus on the micro-level, local factors - factors within the reach of the person living under $1.90 a day- that could mitigate the impact of climate shocks toward household level welfare. for example, interested in looking at how incidence and intensity of social networks (relationships within a community) in a rural economy would cushion the impacts of climate shocks on Migration (whether Migration is or is not a problem, is a different issue, for now :) )