Nneka Nwogwugwu with agency reports
A new survey has shown that 88% of Africans believe that climate change is already affecting their everyday life.
The survey also showed that 61% Africans believe that climate change and environmental damage have affected their income or source of livelihood.
These are some of the key findings from the first African edition of the European Investment Bank’s (EIB’s) 2022 Climate Survey.
The EIB is the lending arm of the European Union and the world’s largest multilateral lender for climate action projects. Since 2018, the EIB has conducted similar large-scale climate surveys across Europe, China and the United States.
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The results of the survey come at a critical moment for Africa, after COP 27 where the mobilization of resources for the mitigation of global warming and the adaptation to its effects were at the heart of the debates with the decisive agreement reached on a new “loss and damage” fund for vulnerable countries hard hit by climatic disasters.
Reactingn to the findings, Ambroise Fayolle, vice-president of the EIB, said: “A great majority of respondents in the countries polled in Africa are alerting us that climate change is already impacting their families and sources of income. The results of the EIB 2022 Climate Survey also show that developing renewable energy is seen as an important priority by most of the respondents. At the EIB we have been supporting clean energy investments in Africa, such as wind power, hydropower and off-grid solutions, for many years. We stand ready to use our full range of advisory and financial instruments to support our partners on the ground to mitigate climate change, adapt to its already palpable, negative effects and ensure a just transition.”
Africa is the part of the world most affected by climate change, although it contributes least to the problem. The continent faces an increased threat from extreme weather events and chronic climate change, which influence agricultural yields, food and water security, ecosystems, livelihoods, health, infrastructure and migration.
The survey results confirm that climate change has negatively affected the livelihoods of African people, with 61% stating that their income has been affected. These losses are typically due to severe drought, rising sea levels or coastal erosion, or extreme weather events such as floods or hurricanes.
More than half of African respondents (57%) say they or people they know have already taken some form of action to adapt to the impact of climate change. Some of these initiatives include investments in water-saving technologies to reduce the impact of drought and drain clearing in advance of flooding.
When asked about the sources of energy their country should invest in, 76% of African respondents say renewable energy should be prioritised, far ahead of fossil fuels (13%).
