By Bisola Adeyemo
Kenya’s government has called on African policymakers to prioritise effective plans to manage climate change and other related issues.
Peter Munya, Cabinet Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives made the call on Thursday during the 24th Annual African Economic Research Consortium’s (AERC) senior policy forum which was held virtually in Nairobi.
Reading the speech on his behalf, the chief administrative secretary in the ministry, Lawrence Omuhaka, said to prevent the effect of climate change on livestock, crops, food, water, and to power Africa’s economic growth and prevent the worst consequences of climate change, researchers must spell out a proactive stance for African policymakers on managing climate change.
Omuhaka also said climate change represents a major threat to Africa achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“It is important to keep in mind that nearly all the impacts of climate change are exacerbat.
The meeting, organized by the think tank, AERC, will assist policymakers and other actors in better understanding the impact of climate change on economic development, particularly focusing on policies that will build and strengthen the resilience of sub-Saharan African economies to ensure the sustainability of growth and development.
The objective of the forum is to improve Africa’s readiness to confront climate and environmental shocks and leverage the opportunities they present through climate-smart sets of economic policies.