The first African edition of the European Investment Bank’s (EIB’s) 2022 Climate Survey has shown that about 88% of Africans believe that climate change is already affecting their everyday life while 61% believe that climate change and environmental damage have affected their income or source of livelihood and 76% of African respondents say renewable energy should be prioritised.
The result of the survey is coming at a critical moment for Africa, after the COP27 summit event in Egypt where the decisive agreement on a new “loss and damage” fund for vulnerable countries hard hit by climatic disasters was reached after hot debates on the mobilisation of resources for the mitigation of global warming and the adaptation to its effects.
“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,” said Ambroise Fayolle, vice president of the EIB.
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According to him, EIB has a long-established presence on the African continent and provides support for numerous initiatives and projects, including in the areas of environmental protection and climate change, the digital economy and telecommunications, sustainable agriculture and food security, clean water and sanitation, clean and affordable energy, sustainable infrastructure, sustainable industrial development, urban development, education, and lending for sustainable projects carried out by small and medium-sized enterprises and large corporations.
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.
By damaging vital resources and increasing competition for natural resources, climate change is likely to increase poverty, inequality and unemployment.
EIB stated: “Our investments contribute to the building of the infrastructure that helps mitigate climate change and allows Africans to adapt to its unavoidable impact on their lives.
The survey results confirm what climate and environmental activists have been saying about how climate change has negatively affected the livelihoods of African people as 61% of respondents stated that their income has been affected typically by 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%).
Story was adapted from Environnewsnigeria.
