Africa could lose up to US$50 billion of its Gross Domestic Product per capita every year from the effects of climate change by 2030. 

Against this background, African countries are urged to put climate change dialogues into action as they prepare for the UN Climate Change Conference, to be held next month in Egypt.

These were remarks at the 10th Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa, held in Windhoek.

The Coordinator of Climate and Development Africa Special Funds at the African Development Bank revealed that the continent currently needs more than US$7 billion to build resilience and adaption to climate change,

In addition, James Kinyangi says Africa's Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Agreement would need about US$3 trillion between 2020 and 2030.

"What can we expect from COP27?" First is to ensure the recognition of the continent's special needs and circumstances on climate change given its high vulnerability to the impacts of climate change despite being responsible for only a portion of the accumulative greenhouse gases. The second is to elevate the dialogue so as to deliver commitment for African countries in line with the Paris agreement in 2015." 

As part of the Paris Agreement, developed countries pledged to channel US$100 billion to developing countries by 2020 to help mitigate climate change.

However, this promise remains unfulfilled, says Tom Alweendo, Minister of Mines & Energy 

When people tell you that we will fund this action because there is US$100 billion on the table that we can use, we have been asking where that money is. If it's there, is it going to be a loan or a grant, and what are the terms, and aren't those terms going to put me backwards because I am burdened with loans that I have to pay back, it appears that our partners take Africa's challenges for granted without understanding what our challenges are."

The 10th Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa was held under the theme, 'Just Transitions in Africa: Transforming Dialogue into Action'.

"We are seeking to contribute to the most effective pathways to achieve a truly just and equitable transition for Africa that will address the urgent development concerns of our continent. The transition must be people-centred and inclusive, leaving no one behind," echoed Jean Paul, Director of Climate Change at the UN Economic Commission for Africa.

The 10th conference started on Monday and is expected to end on Friday.

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July Nafuka

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July Nafuka