Africa

Dr Githinji Gitahi_Amref Health Africa Group CEO

By Dr Githinji Gitahi
Nov 14 2024 (IPS)

Global warming is no longer just an issue for the environment but a crisis of life itself. Yet, African governments’ climate action strategies, specifically those submitted under the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), remain disproportionately focused on emission reductions—an approach that fails to address the most pressing health needs of African communities. For many Africans, it’s hard to explain why their leaders prioritize reducing emissions, which are rather low and insignificant when the immediate threat of climate change is not their carbon footprint but their vulnerability to its effects.

Consider the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). With a per capita carbon emission of just 0.04 metric tons, it would take an average Congolese citizen over 400 years to match the emissions of a citizen in a high-income country like the U.S., Canada, or Australia. However, DRC’s NDC includes an unconditional commitment to reduce emissions by 2%, with a conditional target of 21% by 2030. This ambitious reduction, aimed at emissions that are already minuscule, would come at a cost of $25.6 billion for mitigation compared to the $23 billion allocated for adaptation actions.

This isn’t an argument against the DRC’s commitment, but an example of the absurdity that is replicated across most of the African climate action strategies as stated in their NDCs. Across the continent, mitigation costs consistently overshadow adaptation investments, even though Africa’s contribution to global emissions is minimal. What impact would DRC’s 21% reduction from 0.04 to 0.0316 metric tons per capita emissions have on the global climate at a cost of $25.6 billion?

Ethiopia provides another example. With per capita emissions of 0.2 metric tons, Ethiopia aims to cut emissions by 68.8% by 2030. However, of its $316 billion climate action budget, $275.5 billion is dedicated to mitigation, while only $40.5 billion is allocated to adaptation. This imbalance overlooks Ethiopia’s pressing need for climate resilient infrastructure in health, water, and sanitation to protect millions from climate-induced floods and droughts.

The story continues in Malawi, where per capita emissions are only 0.1 metric tons. Malawi’s NDC targets a 6% unconditional reduction and a 51% conditional reduction by 2040, with $41.8 billion allocated for mitigation but only $4.5 billion for adaptation. This focus on mitigation underfunds Malawi’s immediate vulnerabilities, such as water scarcity, food insecurity, and a fragile agricultural sector.

Zimbabwe and Uganda follow similar patterns. Zimbabwe, with per capita emissions of 0.9 metric tons, aims to reduce emissions by 40% by 2030, budgeting $4.83 billion for mitigation compared to just $2.35 billion for adaptation. Uganda, with emissions at 0.1 metric tons per capita, commits to a 24.7% reduction by 2030, with $16.7 billion allocated for mitigation and $11.4 billion for adaptation, despite recurring droughts that jeopardise agriculture and health systems.

A more people-centered approach would give precedence to climate-resilient crops, effective water management, and adaptable healthcare systems that directly address the immediate needs of vulnerable populations.

This fixation on mitigation in countries with negligible emissions reveals what I call “distributed carbon guilt”—a shared sense of responsibility for a problem these countries did not create. African nations seem trapped in a “copy-paste” climate agenda that mirrors the priorities of high-emission countries rather than building strategies rooted in local needs.

It’s time for African leaders to rethink their climate strategies and make a decisive shift away from carbon metrics toward a people-centred approach. This human life crisis demands a bottom-up strategy focused on protecting lives and livelihoods, prioritising the safety and resilience of vulnerable communities facing growing health risks, water and food scarcity, and the loss of jobs and incomes.

Achieving this scale of change requires harnessing the power of citizen engagement to build a groundswell of advocacy that places people at the heart of climate negotiations. Empowered African voices—from grassroots activists to government representatives—are essential in holding wealthier nations accountable, demanding they honour their commitments for a just energy transition and provide the financial and technological support necessary to safeguard lives and strengthen the resilience of African communities.

The Pathway to Resilience

Climate adaptation and mitigation are not opposing approaches but mutually reinforcing strategies to tackle climate change and its impacts.  Each should be applied based on the specific needs of communities. For example, investing in adaptation in Africa provides immediate protection and reduces future risks, avoiding the escalating costs of inaction. According to the Global Commission on Adaptation, an investment of $1.8 trillion in areas like early warning systems, climate-resilient infrastructure, sustainable agriculture, and water resources could yield $7.1 trillion in benefits. If African farmers adopted solar-powered irrigation, resilient crop varieties, and weather alert systems, global agricultural yields could avoid a 30% decline by 2050. Clearly, investing in adaptation delivers significant co-benefits for both resilience and mitigation.

African governments should therefore refocus on five key areas: strengthening climate-resilient health systems, offering reliable, safe water and sanitation services, supporting sustainable agriculture, mitigation, especially where there are direct co-benefits and implementing social protection programmes. Climate-resilient health systems are vital to managing climate-driven pressures, including rising disease burdens from malaria, dengue, and respiratory illnesses linked to pollution and extreme temperatures. They are also critical for responding to health impacts from extreme weather events like droughts and floods.

Reliable water and sanitation infrastructure that can withstand prolonged droughts and unpredictable rainfall is essential for tackling Africa’s growing water scarcity. This is directly linked to health, as failing and overwhelmed sanitation systems increase the risk of diseases like cholera.

In agriculture, climate-smart practices—such as resilient crop varieties, agroforestry, improved irrigation, and early warning systems—are crucial for food security. Meanwhile, government-led people-centric social protection programmes offer a safety net for communities facing the economic impacts of climate shocks.

These priorities will form a central part of discussions at next year’s Africa Health Agenda International Conference (AHAIC25) in Kigali, where African leaders will host global health and development stakeholders to exchange best practices and innovative solutions for tackling these urgent challenges.

Calling for Accountability from High-Income Countries

Based on the widely accepted principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities,’ Africa should not bear this financial burden of adaptation alone. High-income countries, whose emissions have driven this crisis, have a moral obligation to compensate for the damage affecting developing nations. The Climate Convention mandates developed countries to provide this support, but funding is still not flowing at the scale or speed required. At COP29 in Baku, African leaders must stand united in demanding substantial, immediate financial support from wealthier nations to fund adaptation efforts across the continent as the world jointly works to slow down the global warming catastrophe.

As the next round of NDCs is due in early 2025, African policymakers must shift the focus to address their countries’ most pressing priorities.  Adaptation should be the primary consideration, guided by available data that highlights Africa’s urgent need for resilience. Mitigation should be pursued selectively where it offers direct benefits, such as reducing indoor air pollution. Meanwhile, G20 countries, especially the highest emitters, must lead on global mitigation efforts. Continuing to prioritize emission reductions in low-emission African nations is effectively adopting someone else’s agenda and diverts attention from Africa’s critical needs.

Africa’s climate commitments must prioritize lives, livelihoods, and resilience. The continent’s leaders must champion a strategy that safeguards its people, builds robust systems, and prepares for the climate impacts already upon us. In this crisis of life, Africa needs a climate action strategy centered on people—not carbon.

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Prime Minister of Grenada, Dickon Mitchell superimposed on a dramatic poster displayed at the CARICOM Pavilion at COP 29. Credit: Aishwarya Bajpai/IPS

By Aishwarya Bajpai
BAKU, Nov 14 2024 (IPS)

“Though I come from a ‘no worries’ island, climate change is deeply worrisome for us,” Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell told IPS in an exclusive interview at COP29 currently underway in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Asked how his country was recovering from Hurricane Beryl, Mitchell said the island in the last 24 hours “experienced flash flooding and landslides… So, apart from Hurricane Beryl, we are also dealing with other climate catastrophes.”

However, despite the challenges, the people of Grenada remain hardy.

“We (the people of Grenada) are resilient people. But we will shift the mindset of the people to a long-term perspective, to adapt to protection and sustainability,” Mitchell says. “We (SIDS) are at the frontline of the climatic crisis. It is not easy—we face disruption, loss of livelihoods, damage to property, and loss of lives.”

His country Grenada—a tiny island nation in the Caribbean Sea—faces heightened vulnerability to climate change, and has seen increased frequency of cyclones, heavy rainfall, landslides, forest fires, crop losses, and water shortages.

“It is my first COP, and I have come here to show the world that we need to be serious about transforming the world and protecting the climate.”

Mitchell determination to ensure the best deal for his island country is evident when asked about the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) which has been touted as a game-changing tool expected to save up to USD 250 billion, he responded saying “In the Caribbean Islands, carbon emissions are nonexistent. We have held our end of the bargain—all Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have.”

However, there was more to climate change than emissions, which Mitchell believes are central to the negotiations. He would like to see more benefits to ordinary people affected by climate change.

“Financing should be direct and transparent and should be to the farmers and fishing communities that are suffering the most.”

He said it was disheartening to tell 16- to 17-year-olds the global average temperature increases by 1.5 degrees.

He sighed then continued, “We need to acknowledge that we are falling short of the required standards. To address this, we must focus on climate financing to support mitigation, adaptation, and resource stability. Our goal is sustainable, renewable, and secure energy for the future. We’re prepared to make this transition, but it requires financial backing and strong partnerships to make it possible.”

When asked about his expectations of COP29? He asserted, “It is one planet, one globe. While our carbon emissions are none, we are the most vulnerable.”

He then threw down the gauntlet to the rich countries.

“At COP 29, if the developed world is serious about tackling the climate crisis, they have to take steps to curb carbon emissions and they can finance it. There is no justification for carbon subsidies. There is no justification for not transitioning to renewable energy nor for not financing us to ensure adaptation to the climate crisis.”

Mitchell demands that at COP29 climate finances are rationalized.

“At COP29, we must streamline the climate finances for SIDS, especially by making the processes easier and simpler, without their control. For example, Loss and Damage Funds should go to SIDS for actual loss and damage experienced by these islands,” he says.

The Prime Minister is adamant—the unnecessary bureaucracy in accessing funds is unacceptable.

“We shouldn’t need to create ‘projects’ to secure funding to rebuild schools washed away by floods or to compensate farmers whose crops are destroyed. We are already doing a lot in building financial resilience—we can only go so far!”

Again, referring to his country and the current crisis with flooding and landslides, he says, “we are asking for very concrete steps at COP 29.”

His message is straightforward.

“I will use the famous American saying, ‘Show me the money!’… Put simply, when you have a climate calamity of ‘X’ magnitude, you get it billed. And that bill should be allowed to respond to the direct needs of the citizens without having to pay it back, without charging the interest on it, and without being able to go to the (global institutions) to access it. That’s the kind of manuscript of simple financing we need.”

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A Lebanese family resides in a small camp on the streets of Beirut following a series of airstrikes that destroyed significant amounts of civilian infrastructure. Credit: UNICEF/Fouad Choufany

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 14 2024 (IPS)

As winter approaches, the ongoing airstrikes and bombardments on Lebanon has threatened the lives and livelihoods of civilians across the country and neighboring regions, which has resulted in skyrocketing death tolls and levels of displacement. Since hostilities escalated in September, Lebanon has seen the destruction of a significant amount of critical infrastructure, including historical sites that are integral to Lebanese history.

Over the course of the conflict between Israel and Lebanon, airstrikes from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have not spared civilians. Repeated airstrikes in the capital city of Beirut have caused widespread fear among civilians that Hezbollah officials are hiding among them, opening them up to further attacks.

A civilian watch group in Beirut examines neighborhood demographics to ensure that no Hezbollah members are among them. “The circumstances require our patrols to be more attuned than ever. There is a big fear of Hezbollah members coming and hiding in some apartments, in some houses and we’re trying to be available at any time [residents] ask us to check any suspicious activity,” says Nadim Gemayel, a member of the Lebanese parliament and founder of the neighborhood watch program.

According to the latest report conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), the first seven days of November saw over 214 civilian deaths from Israeli attacks. In the same reporting period, the IDF had attacked 3 healthcare facilities, leading to 2 deaths and 7 injuries among healthcare workers.

On November 11, the IDF conducted a raid on Saksakiyeh in the Sidon district of southern Lebanon which killed a total of 54 people. On the same day, another Israeli missile hit a residential building in Ain Yaaqoub, a town located in the far north of Lebanon. According to a November 13 post shared to X (formerly Twitter) by the Lebanese Health Ministry, the total death toll in Lebanon since last year has reached approximately 3,365 civilians.

High levels of displacement only put more pressure on humanitarian efforts, in what has become a crisis. According to a report conducted by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), roughly 473,000 people residing in Lebanon have fled to Syria since the escalation of hostilities in September. It is added that approximately 500 to 600 refugees on average cross Lebanon’s borders daily.

Evacuation orders are frequent throughout all districts of Lebanon. When asked about new forced displacement orders and bombardments, then-Israeli defense minister Israel Katz told reporters, “We will make no ceasefires, we will not take our foot off the pedal, and we will not allow any arrangement that does not include the achievement of our war objectives. We will continue to strike Hezbollah everywhere.”

According to a study conducted by AMEL Association International, a Lebanese non-profit organization that aims to support vulnerable communities in Lebanon, over 1.2 million Lebanese civilians are displaced, with 193,000 residing in overcrowded displacement shelters. These shelters are situated on mountainous land and lack heating infrastructures, making living conditions particularly harsh during this period.

“We have entered the winter and are stripped of necessities to protect ourselves from the cold and storms. The first rain that hit Lebanon a few days ago is one of the calamities that awaits us, including stronger storms and heavy snow,” says Saeda Abdallah, a resident of a shelter in eastern Lebanon.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has condemned the IDF’s attacks on Lebanese heritage sites. The ancient city of Tyre was just one of the many culturally and historically important sites that was targeted by IDF bombardment. Tyre, which UNESCO recognized as a World Heritage Site in 1984, is known as one of the earliest Phoenician metropolises in the world, and is home to the Tyre Hippodrome, an ancient arena that hosted chariot races.

“The Tyre bombing is something that has really moved all the people, because Tyre is a concept, a symbol, a World Heritage Site,” said Helene Sader, a professor at the American University of Beirut, in an interview for New Line Magazine.

Beginning on October 23, Israeli missiles ravaged Tyre and destroyed significant civilian infrastructures. Historians and UNESCO personnel fear that delicate historical sites may have sustained significant levels of foundational damage.

“We know almost nothing from an archaeological point of view from these areas, and the bombings could have destroyed precious evidence in the form of ancient sites,” said Francisco Nunez, a professor of Mediterranean archaeology at the University of Warsaw.

The ancient town of Mhaibib has been demolished from Israeli bombardment. Situated on the border of northern Lebanon, Mhaibib is known for housing the shrine to Benjamin, an Islamic prophet. This site is considered to be extremely sacred and culturally significant. The statue and shrine has sustained considerable damage from Israeli airstrikes and as of late October, it is unknown if the shrine still stands.

Graham Philip, a professor of archaeology at Durham University, opines that cultural heritage sites in Lebanon are of great importance to Lebanon’s cultural identity and history, almost akin to “the soul of a population”. “Imagine how people would feel in Britain if the Tower of London or Stonehenge were destroyed. It’s part of their identity,” he said.

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Manufacturing has been the engine of growth in Asia, but a transition to modern, tradable services could be new source of growth and productivity. Credit: JohnnyGreig/iStock by Getty Images, via IMF

By Chikako Baba, Rahul Giri and Krishna Srinivasan
BANGKOK, Thailand, Nov 14 2024 (IPS)

The Asia-Pacific region prospered by becoming the source of more than half of global factory output, but another transformation to higher-productivity services has the potential to further support growth.

Employment and production typically move from agriculture to manufacturing to services, as part of natural progression that comes with rising income. Today, many Asian countries—including China, Indonesia, Korea, and Thailand—are highly industrialized. If history is a guide, industry’s share of production will shrink as more activity passes to services.

Indeed, the growth of services has already drawn about half of the region’s workers into that sector, up from just 22 percent in 1990, as hundreds of millions moved from farms and factories. This shift is likely to accelerate with further expansion of international trade in modern services such as finance, information, and communication technology, as well as business outsourcing (for example, as already done in India and the Philippines).

By contrast, traditional services—for example, tourism or distribution services—have lower productivity and contribute less to economic growth.

Policymakers should embrace this shift to modern services because they have higher productivity, as we show in an analytical note accompanying our October 2024 Asia-Pacific Regional Economic Outlook. Transitioning to a more services-led economy comes with greater economic growth opportunities, provided the right policies are in place.

Productivity is an important variable when considering which sectors can best deliver growth in coming years. Manufacturing productivity in Asia is already close to the level of global leaders, so further improvement offers only limited scope to boost productivity and growth.

By contrast, services in Asia don’t enjoy the same efficiency advantage, so the region’s economies have more to gain by catching up with countries that have the most efficient services sectors.

In addition, in several services sectors like finance and business services, productivity is higher than in manufacturing, which means greater contributions to growth. For example, Asia’s labor productivity in financial services is four times higher than in manufacturing, and it’s twice as high in business services, our new analysis shows.

Even so, countries need to have the right conditions in place to benefit from services. Manufacturing benefited from low trade costs and greater global integration, but services sectors are relatively protected in Asia, which can hamper progress.

Just like Asia’s higher tariffs on agriculture, which average 12 percent versus 7.5 percent globally, foreign companies that hope to enter the services sector face various restrictions. These include outright bans, approval requirements, local presence, and higher tax rates.

Policymakers should also recognize that workers leaving agriculture and manufacturing need the skills to find good jobs in services. With waves of new digital technologies replacing some jobs like clerical support, policies should ensure widespread internet and technology access, and introduce education and training to develop a digitally skilled workforce capable of leveraging artificial intelligence.

With growth projected to slow in many Asian countries due to rapid aging, boosting productivity by nurturing productive services is a key to Asia’s future success.

This IMF blog is based on an analytical note, “Asia-Pacific’s Structural Transformation: The Past and Prospects,” included in the October 2024 Asia-Pacific Regional Economic Outlook.

Source: IMF BLOG

Chikako Baba, Rahul Giri & Krishna Srinivasan, International Monetary Fund (IMF)

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Co-chairs of the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) have arrived at a workable basis for discussion on the Summit’s top priority finance goal.

By Joyce Chimbi
BAKU, Nov 14 2024 (IPS)

Three days into the landmark COP29 conference, the co-chairs of the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) have arrived at a workable basis for discussion on the summit’s top priority goal—a new climate finance goal. The COP29 Presidency says the draft will, moving forward, “guide conversations around potential landing zones and help identify concerns.”

The NCQG is a new global climate finance goal that the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA) shall set from a floor of USD 100 billion per year, prior to 2025. Parties have welcomed the decision, edging the summit closer to setting ambitious goals. 

“This is a significant step but there are still many options to be resolved. We now want to hear everyone’s views and we will create spaces for them to provide their inputs throughout COP29. But the parties must remember that the clock is ticking and we only have 10 days left,” COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev commented about the draft.

Mambagri Ouoba, Party in the Burkina Faso country delegation, has expressed his optimism that, at last, this COP will chart a sustainable financial path to finance effective, efficient and sustainable climate action to push back on the climate onslaught. Stressing that vulnerable, high-risk and poor countries in the Global South are in need of substantial financial and technical support to build resilience.

“Delegates, Parties, Observers and people from indigenous and other vulnerable communities are following discussions very closely and any progress, such as this, is very much welcome. Any decision or outcome made here at Baku must reflect the wishes and aspirations of all of us in every corner of the world. It is our collective responsibility to build resilience against climate change,” Ouoba told IPS.

Simon Philbert Kimaro, Party in the Tanzania delegation, told IPS that it is important to set binding financial goals “as pledges do not work very well. Commitments must be binding so that nations and other relevant stakeholders can be held into account. COP28 was historic as it very quickly arrived at an agreement on the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund but we expected much more progress than what has been achieved over the last year. Nevertheless, we are hopeful, as there has been some positive progress in the last few days of COP29.”

The loss and damage fund was established to bring finance to millions of people in developing countries on the frontlines of the devastating climate onslaught. As of September 2024, a total of USD 702 million has been pledged to the Fund from 23 contributors. Delegates from the Global South say this is far from enough to meet the climate challenge.

In Baku, the loss and damage issue appears to be a key priority in the COP29 Presidency’s plan to enhance ambition and enable action. The Presidency has pushed for progress and the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage is now ready to accept contributions after the signing of key documents.

The Fund will serve as a lifeline by providing critical and urgent support for those impacted by the devastating consequences of climate change. With this important milestone reached, the Fund is now expected to start financing projects in 2025.

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Community health worker in Nepal helping giving polio vaccine to a child. Climate change-induced events are affecting basic health facilities directly. Photo: Tanka Dhakal/IPS

By Tanka Dhakal
BAKU, Nov 14 2024 (IPS)

Climate change and its impact on public health hasn’t made the top of the agenda even at a forum like the UN Climate Conference, but is should, say the health community.

Understanding the gap, more than 100 organizations from across the international health and climate community came together as the Global Climate and Health Alliance and have called wealthy countries to protect people’s health by committing to provide climate finance in the order of a trillion dollars annually, in addition to global action with leadership from the highest emitting countries to end the fossil fuel era.

Alliance endorsed nine recommendations for the summit through a policy brief—‘A COP29 for People and Planet’ which includes financing to community engagement.

In an interview with Dr. Jeni Miller, Executive Director of the Global Climate and Health Alliance IPS asked about the recommendations and why they were necessary.

Dr. Jeni Miller, Executive Director of the Global Climate and Health Alliance.

IPS: How and why the international health and climate community came together—why was it necessary, right before COP29?

Miller: For many years, the UN climate negotiations have been going on. For many years, health was not a part of the conversation. And in fact, the Global Climate and Health Alliance was established because a handful of health organizations felt like this is an important health issue, and we need to get health into that conversation, and we’re not seeing it there. Over the years, more and more health organizations have really begun to understand the threat that climate change poses to people’s health. I think a big contributing factor as well is that we are now seeing those impacts of climate change in real time in communities all over the world—every country, every region, is seeing some combination of extreme weather events.

This is directly impacting the communities that we serve, and we have to raise the alarm bell and make sure that we’re pushing for those solutions that are going to protect people’s health. The report, specifically the policy recommendations, is really an attempt to take what we’re seeing from the health perspective, the concerns that we have. About the threat that this poses for people’s health and the reality of the impacts on people’s health, and somewhat translate that into terms that make sense for negotiators to pick that up, understand it, and use it in the context of those actual decision-making processes in the climate talks.

IPS: Wealth is concentrated on one side of the world or one section of the community, but burden—especially public health burden—is on marginalized communities who don’t have access to basic resources. Is there any way that gap will be narrowed in the near future?

Miller: This is such a critically important issue. And unfortunately, we’re seeing some real extremes of wealth disparity—ironically, in countries that have huge wealth disparity within the country, everyone is less healthy than they would be if there was less health disparity. If people were more equal, that would be healthier for everyone. But the reality is, many people, as you say, don’t have the resources to access the basic necessities of life. Healthy food, clean water, electricity of any kind, but particularly clean energy, even access to education, access to basic health care—all of those things are really vital to growing up healthy and to living a healthy life. And the thing that is so clear is that access to those basic necessities early in life makes a tremendous difference in being able to grow up healthy, resilient, and productive.

It’s a huge impact on the individual that’s growing up without those resources—it’s also an impact on society. So, a society that has people that grow up with enough resources to be resilient, healthy, and well educated is a healthier society. And I would argue that that extends not only within a community or even a country but also internationally. So, if we have huge disparities internationally, that’s also kind of a drain on the world, a challenge for the world as a whole. It leads to conflict, it leads to friction, and it leads to difficulty making decisions to tackle climate change together. I would argue that it’s really in the best interest of wealthy countries to make those investments to help the lowest-income, vulnerable countries have the resource they need to address those basic necessities. I think it’s fundamental. It’s the right thing to do.

I think for so many reasons, it’s important that the wealthy countries do step up and provide this kind of resources.

IPS: While talking about the resources, wealthy countries are already far behind on their climate finance commitment. Do you think they will consider financing to protect people’s health?

Miller: This is a major focus of this year’s climate negotiations. In fact, on the table is a major discussion about a new pot of financing for climate change, and I don’t think we know the answer yet as to how that’s going to come out.

It often gets talked about as we can’t economically afford to put in that money. I think a key question is, what is the cost of inaction? If we fail to act, we’re already seeing. The cost of failing to act on climate change is immense. The cost of failing to enable countries to be better, prepared to be better, to have their systems, their water and sanitation systems be stronger, their hospitals be more prepared, etc. The costs are just staggering. So, when we’re talking about, can we afford to put the money into climate action, I think we also need to ask the question, can we afford not to? I think the answer is no. And then the last thing that I’ll say about this is, and this is also important, we are currently subsidizing fossil fuels more than a trillion a year in direct public subsidies. So that’s public money going into supporting the production and use of fossil fuels, and fossil fuels are the primary driver of climate change.

So again, when we’re talking about, can we afford to or are we prepared to invest in climate action and put money into a Climate Fund? We need to ask ourselves the question. What is the cost of not doing so? And then where else is public money going that could be going into moving us in the right direction, towards clean energy, towards climate resilience?

IPS: You talked about the extreme weather events. In recent years, extreme events contributed by climate change are causing destruction en masse; often its monetary losses will be counted but its public health impact is still to be discussed. How do you see climate and health discussion moving forward especially regarding financing?

Miller: I don’t think it happens by itself. In my own country, the US, we are seeing climate-exacerbated disaster, and yet people not accepting the role of climate change in that and not accepting that the health impacts, the dislocation, and the trauma that they’re experiencing were caused by climate change.

It’s not necessarily going to happen just by itself, in in other countries as well. People may be feeling the impacts, but not connecting the dots, and not because of disinformation, not recognizing.

I do think that it’s important for those who know about those connections—the scientists, the advocates, the health professionals who are looking at these issues, the academic departments—to talk about it and articulate what those connections are.

But then I do think that each time one of those extreme weather events does create the opportunity for that conversation to happen, and we need to step up to those opportunities.

And I think that can make a really big difference in changing the nature of the conversation and opening-up possibility for a deeper conversation about what we need to do about this.

IPS: Let’s talk about the report. It talks about healthy climate action for most affected communities. Can you explain it for our audience and what would be the role of the community?

Miller: It’s so often the case that decisions get made without consulting communities affected by those decisions. There can be very good will that is, and good intentions behind that, and yet the results are not going to be as good if you’re not working with the people affected by the issue. The thing that community members know that nobody else knows in the way that they know it is their lived experience of what’s going on in their community, their resources in terms of their own knowledge, their own community relationships, their own resilience, their own techniques. There may be techniques that they know for growing food and their ecosystem.

There may be knowledge you know for forced communities, knowledge that they have of the force that they live in. There is very deep knowledge that communities have about their circumstances, their context, and their needs and what they can bring in terms of solutions, so effectively working with communities means really involving them in the conversation from the get-go when designing programs and projects and all of that sort of thing. And I think when it comes even to financing, thinking about how finance for Climate Solutions reaches that community level.

I think another thing that’s really important to recognize is that climate change puts a huge strain on all of us. It’s a huge psychological strain just to live in the climate era. Enabling communities to come together and be a part of the solution helps to heal that burden.

IPS: You touched on mental health. The report also talks about mental health and wellbeing outcomes—we are seeing people struggling with climate-related post- and pre-event psychological burden in different forms. How do you see this dimension moving forward?

Miller: That is one area where I’ve definitely seen significant progress in the last several years. I think I’ve seen significant progress in increasingly recognizing the health impacts of climate change and the health threat that climate change poses, and then within that, significant progress in beginning to recognize and acknowledge and understand the mental health dimensions of this. There’s a long way to go, but it is a part of the conversation, and it’s an important one.

There are mental health impacts before or after an extreme weather event, and that can show up as kind of anxiety and stress, a variety of things. People who go through major extreme weather events, like the post-traumatic stress of having experienced that and having gone through it, not knowing if it might happen again or when it might happen again.

There’s also the sense of losing one’s world, losing the world that one grew up in, losing the environment that one, the world that one grew up in and seeing those things kind of slip away—this sort of a cultural, ecological and cultural dimension to that. And if you know, failing to acknowledge that mental health dimension both leaves people suffering and also leaves people sort of disempowered.

I think community is important in response to those kinds of mental health challenges—the kind of recognition that there are actions that one can take and ways that one can come together. And some of those actions may be kind of the direct actions of sustainability, working to live a more sustainable lifestyle. I think even, maybe even more important than that, are actions of coming together with the community to influence the kinds of decisions that get made, to call for the kinds of policies that will turn the needle on climate change, to have a voice in the larger conversation. I think that can be even more powerful.

IPS: Do you have anything to add that we may have missed or you wanted to add?

Miller: I think the one thing that I would add is that, right now, every government that’s part of the Paris Agreement is in the process of drafting new national climate commitments.

It’s an important opportunity, not just at the international level, and as at these big international climate talks, but at home, in every single country, for people to call on their governments to make commitments that are aligned with protecting their health from climate change.

Also, I think it’s important to continue to focus on what we can do. The headwinds can feel pretty strong. Addressing climate change will be something that we’re doing for the rest of our lives, not just for the rest of my life—anybody alive today will be dealing with this issue for the rest of our lives. So, we need to maintain our stamina around it and know that this is a long-term commitment and know that it’s worth it.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Trump's focus: Drilling for oil, not saving the planet. Credit: Shutterstock

By Baher Kamal
MADRID, Nov 13 2024 (IPS)

During his electoral campaign, incoming U.S. President Donald Trump highlighted that the U.S. holds more oil reserves than any other country, even surpassing Saudi Arabia. In this context, he openly encouraged big businesses to tap into these reserves with the words: ’Drill, baby, drill.’

The US president-elect has also threatened to impose record tariffs on electric cars’ imports from China, by increasing them between 100% and 200%, and has hinted at higher taxes on European vehicles as well.

As the U.S. remains the second-largest global contributor to climate damage after China, do you expect that this year’s climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan (11-22 November) can achieve what all the previous 28 sessions of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change have failed to?

In other words, can COP29 come out with effective, verifiable, legally binding decisions to mobilise the amount of financial resources (between 187 and 359 billion US dollars annually) to overcome the current huge adaptation finance gap?

Or shall this yet another expensive gathering end up with the usual ‘politically correct’ Declaration that will be announced as “landmark,” “historical,” although a non-binding step to halt the growing “climate carnage,” as called by the United Nations’ Secretary-General António Guterres.

So far, major political –and financial– world’s leaders decided to skip the summit, as is the case of the United States, the European Commision, and Germany, among others.

 

The Huge Financial Gap

The life-saving amount required to heal peoples and Nature –187 to 359 billion US dollars annually– is just a fraction of what the world’s military powers spend –annually– on weapons whose function is to kill peoples and Nature.

See what an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament: the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reports:

 

• Estimated global military expenditure rose for the ninth consecutive year in 2023, to surpass $2.4 trillion,
• Despite the consequent growth in demand for weapons and continued efforts to meet that demand, arms companies have found it difficult to boost production.
• The 6.8 per cent increase in total military spending in 2023 was the largest rise since 2009 and pushed estimated world spending to the highest level recorded by SIPRI.
• As a result, the global military burden—world military expenditure as a share of world gross domestic product (GDP)—rose to 2.3 per cent.
• Governments allocated an average of 6.9 per cent of their budgets to the military or 306 US dollars per person.
• Estimated military spending increased across all five geographical regions for the first time since 2009.

 

‘America First’

“The United States remained by far the largest military spender in the world.”

The USA’s expenditure of 916 billion US dollars was more than the combined spending of the 9 other countries among the top 10 spenders, and 3.1 times as large as that of the second biggest spender, China, reports SIPRI, which is ranked among the most respected think tanks worldwide

During the same year -2023- up to 39 of the 43 countries in Europe increased military spending. The 16 per cent surge in total European spending was driven by a 51 per cent rise in Ukrainian spending and a 24 per cent rise in Russian spending.

The Israel–Hamas war was the main driver for the 24 per cent increase in Israel’s military expenditure, adds SIPRI in its Yearbook 2024.

 

The Big Polluters

The United States and other rich, industrialised powers, like Europe, and Japan, are the largest polluters, as is the case of China and India, while being those with the biggest capability to reduce the financial adaptation gap they have been causing.

See what a global movement of people who are fighting injustice for a more equal world, working across regions in 79 countries, with thousands of partners and allies: Oxfam International unveils in its report: “Carbon Inequality Kills”:

 

• Super Yachts and Jets of Europe’s Elite Emit More Carbon Pollution in a Week than the World’s Poorest 1% Emits in a Lifetime
• One ultra-rich European takes an average of 140 flights a year, spending 267 hours in the air and producing as much carbon as the average European would in over 112 years.
• In the same period, an ultra-rich European on their yachts emits, on average, as much carbon as an ordinary European would in 585 years.

 

On the climate adaptation financial gap, the report highlights what it called Make rich polluters pay.

“Climate finance needs are enormous and escalating, especially in Global South countries that are withstanding the worst of climate impacts.

“A wealth tax up to 5% on European multi-millionaires and billionaires could raise 286.5 billion euros annually. , supporting communities to build better lives for themselves, grow resilience and protect lives and livelihoods also in times of crisis.”

 

The Victims Pay?

Another global movement of more than 10 million people in over 150 countries and territories who campaign to end abuses of human rights: Amnesty International, has reported.

“With millions of people already displaced by climate change disasters in Africa, the richer countries most responsible for global warming must agree at the COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan “to fully pay for the catastrophic loss of homes and damage to livelihoods taking place across the continent.”

Africa’s contribution to the climate carnage amounts to a neglectable 2 per cent.

 

And the suicidal war on Nature and Humans goes on

On the eve of the COP29, the World Meteorological Organization warned that the year 2024 is on track to be the warmest year on record after an extended streak of exceptionally high monthly global mean temperatures.

Meanwhile, since the beginning of this century, the world has witnessed more than 2,500 disasters and 40 major conflicts.

 

A Misleading Claim

By the way, the elected president of the United States’ statement that his country has the largest oil reserves in the world, including Saudi Arabia, is anything but accurate.

According to the WorldAtlas’ list of the top 10 oil reserves by country, Venezuela ranks first with 303 billion barrels, followed by Saudi Arabia with 267 billion barrels, while the United States comes the 9th, with oil reserves amounting to 55 billion barrels.

In short, for the world’s biggest military powers, wars are worth spending far more than saving lifes. And the oil business that kills Mother Nature and all that lives on it, also ranks hight among their top priorities.

‘Drill, baby, drill’

South African FA president Danny Jordaan is alleged to have used the organisation's resources for personal gain between 2014 and 2018.

South African FA president Danny Jordaan is alleged to have used the organisation's resources for personal gain between 2014 and 2018.

Wind power installation in the impoverished desert peninsula of La Guajira in northern Colombia. Credit: Giampaolo Contestabile / Pie de Página

By Humberto Márquez
CARACAS, Nov 13 2024 (IPS)

The Latin American and Caribbean region is a student with good grades in renewable energy, but not in energy efficiency, and has a long way to go in contributing to global climate action and overcoming the vulnerability of its population and economies.

The recent energy crises in Ecuador and Cuba, with power outages ranging from 14 hours a day to days at a time, and the threats posed by droughts – which this year hit Bogotá and the Brazilian Amazon, for example – to the hydroelectric systems that power the region, are proof of this.

Among the 660 million Latin Americans and Caribbeans enduring the various impacts of climate change, there are at least 17 million people, some four million households, who still lack access to electricity.“Countries in the region are very much affected by barriers in their investment ecosystems, access to financing, whether due to institutional problems, policies or legal security”: Alfonso Blanco.

That scenario comes under new scrutiny at the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which began its two-week run on Monday 11 in Baku, capital of oil-rich Azerbaijan.

The annual conference of 196 states parties has climate action financing as its main theme and will also review the global commitment made a year ago to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency.

The COP28 in Dubai proposed a global installed capacity of 11,000 gigawatts (Gw, equivalent to 1,000 megawatts, Mw) of energy from renewable sources by 2030, 7,000 Gw more than today. This is unlikely, judging by the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

The NDCs serve as commitments by states to adopt measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions so that global warming does not exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial averages, as stated in the 2015 Paris Agreement, which concluded the COP21.

Large solar power plant in the Sertao region, in the arid northeast of Brazil, installed by the Spanish company Naturgy. Credit: Naturgy

In the case of Latin America and the Caribbean, “the installed capacity for electricity generation is already 58% renewable energy, and in 11 countries it exceeds 80%,” Uruguayan expert Alfonso Blanco, director of energy transition and climate at the Washington-based think tank Inter-American Dialogue, told IPS.

According to the Latin American Energy Organisation (Olade), the region’s installed electricity generation capacity was 480,605 megawatts (MW) in 2022, with about 300,000 MW produced from renewable sources – 200,000 MW from dams – and the rest from non-renewable sources, mainly fossil fuels.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) put the region’s installed electricity generation capacity at 342,000 MW last year, with advances in solar energy installations, with a capacity of 64,513 MW, and wind power, which reached 49,337 MW, as the hydroelectric source remains stable at 202,000 MW.

The Latin American and Caribbean region “can increase its capacity to generate electricity from sources such as solar or wind, but it can’t triple its hydroelectric capacity,” said Blanco, who was executive secretary of Olade in the period 2017-2023.

Diana Barba, coordinator of energy diplomacy at the Colombian think tank Transforma, also believes that “tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030 does not apply to Latin America and the Caribbean”.

“The next step is to maintain the proportion… until 2040, and in general to reduce the trend towards the use of fossil fuels,” Barba told IPS.

An auto parts factory in the Mexican state of Coahuila. Credit: México Industry

Elusive efficiency

Green energy capacity figures are improving every year in the region, but energy efficiency figures are not keeping pace. Experts from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) have shown that only the Caribbean sub-region has made significant progress compared to the first decade of this century.

Measured in kilograms of oil equivalent (kgoe) per 1,000 dollars of gross domestic product (GDP), the Caribbean consumed 110 kgoe during the 2001-2010 decade and decreased that expenditure to 67 units in 2022, while the region as a whole fell from 95 to 87 kgoe.

In that period, the Andean sub-region was able to fall from 108 kgoe to 90, Central America and Mexico from 85 to 70, and the Southern Cone remained at 90, although the figure is 80 kgoe if Brazil is excluded.

Efficiency, in which the region shows more modest results, is fundamental for the triple purpose of saving resources, reducing costs and, a primary objective at climate COPs, reducing the carbon emissions that pollute the environment and heat the atmosphere, precipitating climate change.

In this regard, the World Economic Forum, which each year gathers political and economic leaders, advocates electrifying transport, and above all stresses that NDCs should focus on demand and supply to improve industrial energy efficiency, only mentioned in 30% of the world’s NDCs.

In transport, an Olade study highlights that the fleet of electrified light-duty vehicles multiplied more than 14 times in the region in 2020-2024, with a total of 249,079 units in circulation by the first half of 2024.

This market – which entails greater energy efficiency and drastic reductions in carbon emissions – is led by Brazil with 152,493 vehicles, followed by Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia and Chile, but Costa Rica has the best per capita figure, with 34 electrified cars per 10,000 inhabitants, followed by Uruguay with 17.

However, as far as manufacturing industry is concerned, with an annual GDP of 874 billion dollars (14% of regional GDP), ECLAC records that it consumes more renewable energy each year and less fossil fuels such as residual fuel oil.

But its energy intensity – an indicator that measures the ratio of energy consumed to GDP – went from 232 tonnes of oil equivalent per million dollars of value added in the 1990s to 238 TOE in 2022, suggesting that the region’s industrial sector has not improved its energy efficiency.

Rows of solar panels on the roofs of Metrobús stations in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Credit: Caba

Four South Americans

To assess the necessary and possible efforts of each country to contribute to global renewable energy capacity targets, Transforma studied four cases, those of Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Colombia.

Barba explained that Argentina and Brazil were considered for their membership of the G20 (Group of 20 industrialised and emerging economies), Colombia for its capacity for action and Chile for its decision to accelerate the end of the operation of thermal power plants, while insufficient information was received from Mexico.

Argentina could take advantage of its onshore wind energy potential and large-scale solar energy, but Barba argues that “it would be super-difficult” to triple its energy matrix in a few years, which is only 37% covered by renewables, and that its current president, Javier Milei, “is betting on fossil fuels”.

Brazil can take advantage of its large-scale renewable energy potential, but Barba notes “contradictory signals” regarding its NDCs, by favouring hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation in the Amazon “instead of sending a very clear signal to close these projects in strategic ecosystems”.

Chile could reach 96% renewable generation in its electricity matrix by 2030, taking advantage of sources such as solar, wind, thermal and geothermal, and Colombia could reach 80% renewables in installed electricity capacity if it continues to multiply its solar and wind energy installations.

Of the countries analysed, Chile is the only one with a specific target of 10% reduction in its energy intensity, established in its national energy efficiency plan 2022-2026, and Transforma suggests that the other countries adopt similar targets in their plans for 2030.

On the other hand, there are calls for savings, considering that energy efficiency is “the first fuel”, the most cost-effective source or, in other words, that the cleanest energy is the one that is not used.

Oil exploitation in the Brazilian Amazon at the Urucu base in the Coari area along the Amazon River. Credit: Petrobras

A question of finance

Giovanni Pabón, Director of Energy at Transforma, has stated that “the issue of financing covers everything. If we don’t have secure financing, we can talk about a lot of things, but in the end it is very difficult to achieve the goals we require” in the Paris Agreement.

Blanco highlights that, in order to tackle their transition to green energy, countries in the region “are very much affected by the existing barriers in their investment ecosystems, access to financing, whether due to institutional problems, policies or legal security”.

“Overcoming that barrier is not impossible, but it requires work and political will, which is often lacking,” he added.

He recalled that countries with strong extractive industries, which are more oriented towards fossil fuels and allocate subsidies to them, stand out in that scenario.

Finally, Blanco considered that COP29, the second consecutive one in an oil-producing country, is “a transitional summit”, preparatory to COP30, which will be held in 2025 in the Amazonian city of Belém do Pará, with Brazil as host and leader, and could produce clearer and firmer results and commitments in terms of renewable energies and energy efficiency.

Up to 200 Russians are estimated to have arrived in the country in the recent past.

Financial solutions for the global South are under the spotlight during COP29. Credit: UN Climate Change/ Habib Samadov

By Umar Manzoor Shah
BAKU, Nov 13 2024 (IPS)

Riad Meddeb, Director of the Sustainable Energy Hub at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), stressed the urgency of finding innovative financial solutions during COP29.

Meddeb was speaking to IPS in an exclusive interview at the conference. He said the negotiations were expected to focus heavily on finance—a core issue that has historically hampered climate action in developing and least-developed nations.

The Finance COP Expectations

Meddeb highlighted the historical challenge of meeting the USD 100 billion annual target for climate finance, which has been a central but elusive goal in previous COPs. He noted that Azerbaijan’s COP 29 presidency aims to overcome this by ensuring the necessary funds are available, especially for countries most vulnerable to climate impacts. 

“This year’s COP is considered the ‘Finance COP’ because it’s crucial we not only set targets but also mobilize the resources to help countries adapt and mitigate climate impacts,” he explained.

A key focus will be developing sustainable financing mechanisms for countries that struggle with debt. Many nations in the global South face significant financial burdens, and accelerating their energy transitions requires resources that may be challenging to secure within their existing economic constraints. Meddeb also stressed the need for concrete financial schemes that can attract private sector investments to supplement international climate funding.

Riad Meddeb, Director of the Sustainable Energy Hub at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Progress at COP 28 and Hopes for COP 29

Reflecting on COP 28, Meddeb noted key successes, including establishing the Loss and Damage Fund and reaching consensus on a targeted increase in renewable energy capacity.

“The agreement to triple renewable energy and double energy efficiency by 2030 was a significant breakthrough at COP28,” he said. “Now, COP29 must translate that ambition into action by securing the financial support needed to achieve these goals.”

Making sure that the commitments made at COP28 are more than just empty words is one of the main challenges going forward, according to Meddeb.

“By COP30, we want a global commitment on the pathway to adaptation and mitigation,” he added.

UNDP’s Role in the Climate Action Landscape

UNDP plays a critical role in translating international climate targets into real, on-the-ground actions. Through initiatives like the UN’s “Climate Promise,” UNDP supports countries in implementing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and operationalizing climate goals. Meddeb explained that UNDP is uniquely positioned to facilitate these efforts due to its extensive network of country offices in 170 nations. This network enables UNDP to address climate issues from a development perspective, integrating energy solutions into broader sectors such as health, education, and poverty alleviation.

“UNDP’s approach is not just about energy,” he said. “It’s about sustainable energy for development. We link energy needs with development needs, connecting climate action to real improvements in health, education, and economic opportunities. This is the difference UNDP makes.”

Addressing the Debt Issue in Climate Finance

A significant portion of the interview focused on the complex financial situations faced by many global South nations, where debt often limits capacity to implement ambitious climate plans. Meddeb pointed out that addressing these financial constraints is essential for equitable progress toward climate goals. He suggested that international financial institutions should provide debt relief or restructuring options to allow these countries to invest more readily in clean energy and climate adaptation.

“Pushing countries with heavy debt burdens to accelerate their energy transition requires a nuanced approach,” Meddeb said. “We need financial structures that acknowledge their debt situations while still allowing them to contribute meaningfully to global climate targets.”

Implementation of the Paris Agreement: From Words to Action

Meddeb stressed the importance of shifting the Paris Agreement’s commitments from paper to practice, especially regarding emission reductions by developed nations. He believes that developed countries have a moral obligation to reduce their carbon footprints, given their historical contribution to climate change and their financial capacity.

“The plan is clear, and it’s agreed upon by all parties in the Paris Agreement. Now it’s just about accelerating implementation,” he asserted. “We don’t need to reinvent the wheel—we need to get it moving.”

When asked whether the current pace of implementation is sufficient, Meddeb offered a candid view: “The Secretary General was very clear—it’s now or never. We need optimism and ambition but also an unyielding focus on practical solutions. There are obstacles, yes, but there are solutions too. Together, we can save our planet.”

The Responsibility of Developed Nations Toward Vulnerable Countries

As climate impacts disproportionately affect poorer nations, Meddeb urged developed countries to support those bearing the brunt of climate change. He pointed to the Loss and Damage Fund as a critical mechanism for this purpose. Set up at COP28, the fund has already garnered around USD 700 million, and Meddeb hopes COP29 will build on this initial success by accelerating funding mobilization.

After all, as the UN secretary general António Guterres noted this week, while the Loss and Damage Fund was a victory, the initial capitalization of USD 700 million doesn’t come close to righting the wrong inflicted on the vulnerable.  “USD 700 million is roughly the annual earnings of the world’s ten best-paid footballers,” Guterres said.

Meddeb agrees. “Mobilizing funds for loss and damage is a positive first step. But we must continue pushing to ensure that the support reaches the most affected communities quickly and effectively.”

A Call to Action

For Meddeb, the stakes could not be higher, and the time for incremental progress is over. He said that COP 29 must not only focus on setting ambitious goals but also make real progress on securing the necessary financing to turn aspirations into achievements.

“Now is the moment to turn pledges into action,” he said. “We’ve reached a point where the world cannot afford to wait any longer. This is the COP for finance, and we need to ensure the resources are in place for meaningful climate action.”

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Turkana women recover with white bandages over their eyes after undergoing surgery to treat trachoma, the world's leading cause of blindness. Efforts like these are crucial in preventing the spread of this debilitating disease in vulnerable communities. Credit: Robert Kibet/IPS

By Robert Kibet
ELANKATA ENTERIT, Kenya, Nov 13 2024 (IPS)

Draped in the vibrant red of his Maasai shuka, 52-year-old Rumosiroi Ole Mpoke sits cross-legged on a worn cowhide mat outside his hut, his face etched with a sorrow deeper than the lines of age. His once-sharp eyes, now clouded by trachoma, can barely make out the shadows of the cattle he once tended with pride.

“I should have done something when I still could see,” he says quietly, his voice thick with regret. “Now, I am useless with my livestock, and my children must guide me around our land. I can no longer provide for them as a father should.”

In Elankata Enterit, Narok County, a remote village tucked 93 miles northwest of Nairobi, Rumosiroi has been stripped not only of his sight but of his role as a provider, now trapped in a cycle of poverty and dependence that gnaws at his spirit.

The Maasai, known for their resilience and deep bond with the land, are among Kenya’s pastoralist communities, particularly vulnerable to trachoma. The dusty, arid environment they inhabit fosters this infectious disease, which tightens its grip on communities already cut off from adequate healthcare services. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Sightsavers, and Kenya’s Ministry of Health are working to tackle the disease, but for communities like Rumosiroi’s, the struggle is unrelenting.

Pascal, a Community Drug Distributor (CDD), hands azithromycin tablets to a woman identified as Abedi during a Mass Drug Administration (MDA) in Kajaido, near the Kenyan-Tanzania border. Credit: Sightsavers/Samuel Otieno

In Kenya’s harsh, sun-baked lands of Kenya’s Rift Valley and the north, where water sources are scarce and sanitation is poor, trachoma—a neglected tropical disease caused by Chlamydia trachomatis—leads to chronic suffering and blindness, affecting pastoralist communities who rely on livestock for survival. Addressing trachoma is essential to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, specifically SDG 3, which aims to provide universal health coverage, including access to quality healthcare and affordable medicines.

Elsewhere, at Chemolingot Hospital in East Pokot, Baringo County, a group of elderly women sits in the courtyard, not for medical care but to collect relief food distributed by the county government. Six frail figures lean heavily on walking sticks, guided by young boys to the right spot. Each woman is blind, their sight stolen by trachoma. With red, swollen eyes, they rub incessantly, trying to ease the relentless pain that marks their faces with lines of resignation and fatigue.

“They’ve given me so much eye ointment,” mutters Kakaria Malimtich, her voice tired and defeated. “I don’t even care about treatment anymore—now, it’s just about getting food.”

Malimtich, like many here, has lost her battle with trachoma, which afflicts 1.9 million people globally, primarily in poor regions. In the arid lands of Baringo, people battle blindness along with hunger, poverty, and a lack of basic resources.

Julius, a Community Drug Distributor (CDD), educates two women about trachoma and encourages them to take the treatment during a Mass Drug Administration (MDA) in Kajaido, near the Kenyan-Tanzania border. Credit:Sightsavers/Samuel Otieno

Cheposukut Lokdap, a 68-year-old resident of Chemolingot, sits nearby, rubbing her eyes to relieve the sharp stinging pain. “It feels like something is cutting into me,” she whispers, half to herself, half to anyone who’ll listen. Two years ago, her remaining vision faded, plunging her into “the dark world.” She remembers that day vividly—the eye she’d relied on to see the sun and shadows finally failed.

Trachoma is prevalent across Kenya, particularly in pastoralist regions like Turkana, Marsabit, Narok, and Wajir. According to WHO, it’s the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide, yet it remains underfunded and largely overlooked. The disease thrives in communities with limited access to clean water and healthcare—conditions common among pastoralists.

According to April 2024 data from the World Health Organization, approximately 103 million people live in areas endemic to trachoma and are at risk of blindness from the disease.

“Here in Marsabit, clean water is a luxury, not a right,” says 40-year-old Naitore Lekan, whose husband is a cattle herder. “Our children suffer from eye infections all the time, and there’s no proper clinic to take them to. Sometimes we use herbs or hope it heals on its own, but it often doesn’t.” Naitore’s experience highlights broader issues in pastoralist communities, where traditional beliefs and lack of awareness hinder effective treatment and prevention.

She recounts her family’s struggle with trachoma. “My daughter, Aisha, started losing her sight last year. We thought it was just a simple eye infection, but at the clinic, they told us it was trachoma. They gave her antibiotics, but we couldn’t return for follow-up because the clinic is too far and we can’t afford transport.” For families like Naitore’s, the distance to healthcare centers and financial constraints make trachoma treatment challenging.

In Marsabit, community health worker Hassan Diba is determined to fight trachoma. “Awareness is key,” he says. “I travel to different homesteads, teaching families about trachoma, its causes, and prevention. But I can only reach so many people. We need more resources and support to tackle this issue on a larger scale.”

Trachoma’s impact goes beyond health; it disrupts pastoralist families’ economic stability. “When someone in the family is sick, everything stops,” says Rumosiroi. “I can’t go to graze the animals, and if our livestock aren’t healthy, we can’t sell them. Then we can’t buy food or pay school fees.” According to WHO, the economic burden of trachoma deepens poverty, as families divert resources to medical expenses.

Kenya’s health system faces major challenges, particularly in remote pastoralist areas. The government’s commitment to universal health coverage is commendable, yet implementation lags in regions where access to health services is hindered by geography and infrastructure.

Pascal, a Community Drug Distributor (CDD), measures 3-year-old Praygod’s height to determine the correct dose of azithromycin syrup during a Mass Drug Administration (MDA) in Kajaido, near the Kenyan-Tanzania border. Credit: Sightsavers/Samuel Otieno

“Most health facilities here are understaffed and under-resourced,” says Dr. Wanjiru Kuria, a public health official in Marsabit. “We need to prioritize funding for preventive measures like clean water and sanitation and train health workers to manage trachoma cases. Without these basics, the fight against trachoma won’t succeed.”

Moses Chege, Director of Sightsavers Kenya, explains that “trachoma disproportionately affects the poorest communities, and eliminating it has profound benefits for individuals and their broader communities.” He adds, “Kenya has made significant strides in the fight against trachoma, which is transforming lives—allowing more children to attend school and more adults to work and support their families.”

“The challenge to eliminate trachoma in Kenya is immense—over 1.1 million people remain at risk,” he told IPS. “Keeping hands and faces clean is essential to prevent the spread, but it’s difficult to maintain good hygiene when communities lack access to clean water. For nomadic groups like the Maasai, reaching them with consistent health services is challenging. There’s also a cultural aspect—some Maasai see the presence of houseflies as a sign of wealth and prosperous livestock. However, these flies carry the bacteria that cause trachoma.”

According to Moses Chege, Kenya has the potential to eliminate trachoma through strategic, evidence-based investments and urgent action, joining the ranks of 21 other countries that have already eradicated the disease. Since 2010, Sightsavers Kenya has been a strong partner to the Ministry of Health, distributing over 13 million trachoma treatments, including 1.6 million treatments in 2022 alone to protect Kenyans from the disease.

The recent launch of Kenya’s Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) master plan by the Ministry of Health is also expected to accelerate efforts in preventing, eradicating, eliminating, and controlling trachoma and other NTDs across the country.

Organizations like Sightsavers and the Ministry of Health have implemented programs to combat trachoma through mass drug administration and education campaigns. These efforts aim not only to treat the infected but also to promote hygiene practices to prevent the disease’s spread. “We’re seeing positive changes,” says Wanjiru. “When communities understand hygiene’s importance and have treatment access, they can break the cycle of trachoma. But it requires commitment from everyone.”

In 2022, Malawi became the first country in Southern Africa to eliminate trachoma, while Vanuatu achieved this milestone as the first Pacific Island nation.

As the world moves closer to the 2030 SDG deadline, addressing trachoma in pastoralist communities is essential for fulfilling the promise of health for all. It demands a multi-faceted approach combining community education, infrastructure development, and equitable healthcare access. For pastoralists like Naitore, Rumosiroi, and Malimtich, these interventions are not just a promise of restored health but a lifeline to a better future.

Note: This article is brought to you by IPS Noram in collaboration with INPS Japan and Soka Gakkai International in consultative status with ECOSOC.

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Amman in Jordan is an area where excessive heat is a major issue and heatwaves fueled by climate change are making life in many areas difficult. Credit: Tanka Dhakal/IPS

By Tanka Dhakal
BAKU, Nov 13 2024 (IPS)

Once again, scientists issued a red alert by analyzing ongoing world’s weather and its impact on the climate. The year 2024 is on track to be the warmest year on record, contributed by an extended streak of high monthly global mean temperatures.

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)’s “State of the Climate 2024 Update” report—which was released in Baku on Monday—issued a reminder Red Alert and said this decade, 2015-2024 will be the warmest ten years on record. 

“For 16 consecutive months (from June 2023 to September 2024), the global mean exceeded anything recorded before 2023 and often by a wide margin,” the report says. “2023 and 2024 will be the two warmest years on record, with the latter being on track to be the warmest, making the past 10 years the warmest decade in the 175-year observational record.”

Observation of nine months (January-September) of 2024 indicated global temperature is 1.54°C above the pre-industrial average. Which means temporarily global temperature has crossed the Paris Agreement threshold, which sets the goal to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial level.

But in the long run, that goal can be achieved if emissions are cut down drastically. The WMO report says, “one or more individual years exceeding 1.5°C does not necessarily mean that pursuing effort to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial level as stated in the Paris Agreement is out of reach.”

Graph source: WMO

However, weather phenomena, including El Niño, played a role in increasing temperature, but long-term warming is driven by ongoing greenhouse gas emissions. And emission data and trends are not in favor of the Paris Agreement goal.

“Concentrations of the three key greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide) in the atmosphere reached record high observed levels in 2023,” the report says. “Real-time data indicate that they continued to rise in 2024.”

Now, atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide are 151 percent, 265 percent and 124 percent respectively, of pre-industrial levels.

According to the WMO, ocean warming is also continuing.

“Ocean heat content in 2023 was the highest annual value on record,” it says, “Preliminary data from the early months of 2024 indicate that ocean heat content this year has continued at levels comparable to those seen in 2023.”

In 2023, the ocean absorbed around 3.1 million terawatt-hours (TWh) of heat, which is more than 18 times the world’s total energy consumption. As water warms, it expands. Thermal expansion, combined with the glaciers and ice sheets melting, contributes to sea level rise.

“2023 set a new observational record for annual global mean sea level with a rapid rise probably driven largely by El Nino. Preliminary 2024 data shows that the global mean sea level has fallen back to levels consistent with the rising trend from 2014 to 2022, following the declining El Nino in the first half of 2024.”

From 2014-2023, global mean sea level rose at a rate of 4.77 mm (millimeters) per year, which is more than double the rate from 1993-2002; at that time it was 2.13 mm per year.

Another contributing factor to the sea level rise is glacier loss and in 2023, glaciers lost a record 1.2-meter water equivalent of ice—that’s approximately five times as much water as there is in the Dead Sea.

All these changes are seen in different parts of the world in the form of extreme weather events, from hurricanes to massive flash floods.

During a press meet in Baku, WMO secretary-general Celeste Saulo emphasized that every fraction of a degree of warming matters and every additional increment of global warming increases climate extremes, impacts and risks.

“The record-breaking rainfall and flooding, rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones, deadly heat, relentless drought and raging wildfires that we have seen in different parts of the world this year are unfortunately our new reality and a foretaste of our future,” Saulo said. “We urgently need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen our monitoring and understanding of our changing climate. We need to step up support for climate change adaptation through climate information services and early warnings for all.”

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