Climate change: Time for African leaders to take collective action

Carcass of one of dead livestock in Korbesa Village of Isiolo North Sub County. [Courtesy, Standard]

As an African, I have seen first-hand the devastating effects of climate change. I have met communities displaced by floods in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. I have spoken to farmers from northern Kenya who have lost their crops to drought. These experiences have made me acutely aware of how urgent it is to address global heating.

In fact, the world stands perilously close to breaching the threshold of 1.5 degrees temperature rise, beyond which unimaginably catastrophic and irreversible climate impacts will engulf Africa and the world. Yet, the rich countries that caused this crisis are still refusing to give up their addiction to fossil fuels, and still shortchanging the Global South on the funding needed for climate action.