NEWSLETTER #44 - SOCIETY OF AFRICAN EARTH SCIENTISTS

 

 

Volume 11, Issue 3,  July-September 2022

 

CONTENT

Chair's Foreword

Increasing Frequency of  Extreme Flood Events in African Urban and Rural Areas

Earth Science Events

References and selected reading

 

Chair's Foreword*

In this issue we report on marked increase in the frequency of extreme flooding events on the continent, and in West Africa particularly. The report is timely as 2022 has been one of the worst years on record for the continent in terms of  urban flooding due to extreme rainfall.

 

 

Increasing Frequency of Extreme Flooding Events in African Urban and Rural Areas

In recent years we have seen the increasingly more frequent flooding of urban areas in Africa, and West Africa in particular.

   Toure [1] notes recent West African flood events in Abidjan (May 2017, June 2018), Ouagadougou (2009, 2015) and Dakar (2009, 2017) as well as other major capitals (Lagos, Accra,etc). We can presently add to this series of extreme events in noting that the recent 2022 floods occurring throughout West Africa have displaced over a million people in Nigeria alone and resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives [2]. Ayesha Tandon in Carbon Brief, November 2022  succinctly reports on the research of Otto et al [3] which claims that the deadly level of rainfall in the region in 2022 was made 80 times more likely due to climate change.

   In Nigeria the flood waters displaced over a million people and over a million hectares of farmland were damaged. Food security in the region was also negatively impacted due to the rise in prices as crops failed and yields fell.

   In Nigeria and Niger the floods were amongst the deadliest on record. Chad declared a state of emergency faced with the heaviest rainfall in 30 years. The release of Cameroon's Lagdo Dam exacerbated matters  and the emerging trend in the impact of dams in relation to the increased risk of flood due to climate change needs to be accorded critical and serious monitoring, especially where dam is part of an infrastructure scheme that is not complete; as in the case of the Lagdo Dam, which was supposed to be accompanied by the construction of another dam in Nigeria, which is still not built.

   Otto and colleagues' climate science work partly addresses a new area of climate science known as "attribution", which attempts to establish the "fingerprint" of climate change on extreme weather events. This would appear to place climate science on a more rigorous footing where the input of climate change can be established and quantified.

   To conduct attribution studies scientists use models to compare the world as it is today with an ideal world that is untouched by human activity, and without human induced climate change. The study of Otto et al  attempts to establish the "signature" of climate change in West African rainfall.

   The main causes of flooding in West African urban regions were identified by the study of Toure cited earlier from the CR4D programme:

- Abundant rainfall (the 2022 studies of Otto et al indicate that floods were caused by short intense storms)

- Permeability of the soil

- Saturation of the soil due to destruction of vegetation in urban and rural areas

- unsuitable/poorly maintained drainage/street gutters

- uncontrolled urbanisation and poor development planning of urban extension

 

As the studies indicate - we do in future years expect to see the continued increase in the frequency of extreme and very extreme weather events. The CR4D study  by Toure suggests urban African regions can be made more sustainable by the promotion of more green spaces such as public parks and gardens especially in storm basins and flood prone areas. Also the option is there to promote the vertical extension of West African cities.

   Another more recent study by Turay [4] suggests that little attention is paid to ecosystem based measures to tackle flood hazards, and they are not used in managing flood events. The study usefully suggests  the need for intra-african learning from observing how different countries in Africa tackle extreme flooding and noting which strategies are more successful, and those not so successful.

 

Earth Science Events

December  13, 2022

International Conference  on Agriculture, Biotechnology, Biological

and  Biosystems Engineering

VISION:  

VENUE: Cairo, Egypt

 

 

References

[1]  Toure, N. E., Flood risk reduction under Paris agreement (FLORR-PA) for three West African capital cities, Climate Research for Development (CR4D), end of grant workshop presentation, 21-23 June 2021, Nairobi, Kenya.

[2] Tandon, A., West Africa's deadly rainfall in 2022 made "80 times more likely " by climate change,  Carbon Brief, November 2022.

[3] Otto, F., et al, Climate exacerbated heavy rainfall leading to large-scale flooding in highly vulnerable communities in West Africa, ResearchGate, 2022.

[4] Turay, Bashir, Flood hazard management in a multiple hazard context: a systematic review of flood hazard management during the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa, Discover Water 2, Article number:6 (2022)' https://doi.org/10.1007/543832-022-00014-w

 

 

*Board of the Society of African Earth Scientists: Dr Enas Ahmed (Egypt), Osmin Callis (Secretary - Guyana/Nigeria), Mathada Humphrey (South Africa), Ndivhuwo Cecilia Mukosi (South Africa), Damola Nadi (Nigeria), Dr Chukwunyere Kamalu (Chair - Nigeria).

NEWSLETTER #43 - SOCIETY OF AFRICAN EARTH SCIENTISTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Volume 11, Issue 2, April - June 2022

 

CONTENT

Chair's Foreword

SAES Conference Meeting Report: Climate Change in Africa - Geosciences & Sustainable Development 15th May 2022

Earth Science Events

References and selected reading

 

Chair's Foreword*

In this issue we report on the 1st international conference meeting of the Society on 15th May 2022: Climate Change in Africa - Geosciences and Sustainable Development; featuring a talk and slide presentation by Dr Enas Ahmed, lecturer in Palaeontology and Stratigraphy at University of Matrouh, Egypt, exploring how geoparks and geotourism can assist in achieving the SDG's (UN formulated sustainable development goals) and the goals of 2050, 2063 and COP 27. Following the talk, a brief overview was given by Dr Chukwunyere Kamalu of the current climate crisis from Africa's perspective with a summary of the indigenous climate research initiative CR4D (Climate Research for Development) and the outcomes from COP 26 [1]. Attendees were invited to participate in a plenary session discussion.

 

Climate Change in Africa - Geosciences and Sustainable Development

Society of African Earth Scientists International Conference Meeting 15th  May 2022

Dr Enas opened her talk by laying out the challenges currently facing the continent which all have been exacerbated by climate change and how the UN designated sustainable development goals provide a guide towards development and meeting the agendas of 2050, 2063 and also COP 27 which will take place in Egypt, this November 2022.

Geological time scale

   It was indicated from Dr Enas' presentation that geoscientists take a long term view of the phenomenon of climate change, considering climate change over the geological cenozoic era [shown in the illustrated time scale above].  This geological study of the earth’s climate beyond the modern era of available recorded data is called palaeo-climatology. According to Dr Enas the presence of both modern and fossilised mud cracks discovered in geological investigations  are among many indicators that have given scientists a clue to the Earth's

 

 

Fossilised mud cracks

repeated cycles of  climate (indicating repeated cycles of wetting, drying). In line with the earth's long history of change and in cases accompanying geo- and extra-terrestial hazards (including the catastrophes of  intense Ice Age, depletion of global oxygen, meteor strikes, etc) there have been 5 mass extinctions [2] and we are currently living in or headed towards a 6th, which is our present crisis with loss in biodiversity through the extinction of many species due to climate change and human induced decline. In this regard, apparent allusion was made to industrial agriculture contributing to this loss of biodiversity through its methods.

   We need to mitigate climate change and Dr Enas suggested various ways of achieving this in Africa including:-

-    Promoting wildlife sanctuaries; creating biosphere reserves that protect large areas of natural habitat for wildlife. Some of the conservation areas created were noted as sometimes clashing with business interests involved in exploiting these protected areas for oil exploration as in the case of the Okavango region of Namibia. 

-    Creating wetlands, which hold carbon of decomposing plants before it is released into the atmosphere.

-    Addressing geohazards such as the increased incidence of volcanic activity, earthquakes and mudslides. 

-    Green tourism or sustainable tourism. This is a means to support our earth, land and people if properly managed, according to Dr Enas. It can also raise awareness of geoheritage, which Dr Enas saw as crucial.  We are now in the geological holocene era  where human activity has a marked impact on the planet's evolution and palaeo-climatology indicates that humans are pushing the Earth to its limits and potentially towards the 6th mass extinction event in the Earth's history. Differentiation of climate over the most recent time frame suggests there has been a markedly steep increase in the the rate of warming of the planet since about 1950 (as the graph of global temperature increase illustrates).

 

   In respect of raising the awareness of  geoheritage, Dr Enas  spoke about a sense of "heritage cycling" that involves educating people (especially the young) about their  environment, encouraging people to appreciate the beauty of their national geological heritage and thereby interesting them in protecting it.

   Geoparks can form an effective vehicle for this solution. During the plenary session, some questioned the need to rely on UNESCO for the designation of global geopark status. Could the African Union not give geopark status to sites in Africa of its own choosing?

   Dr Enas gave the UNESCO definition of a geopark and outlined the steps to be taken to gain UNESCO global geopark status.  The concept of the geopark promotes the triumvirate of geotourism, education and conservation. It involves a formal application process, following a time schedule. There must be an assurance that local people (including traditional local chiefs) were fully involved in decision making and in the process of establishing the geopark area.

 

   Ideally sustainably developed geoparks can help alleviate geohazards, create conservation areas that will promote socio-economic development and support the indigenous people that live there particularly in a rural setting. The geopark belongs to the community. Its status as a UNESCO world heritage site, if obtained is not automatic but requires maintenance to a standard and reapplication to renew. No doubt the geopark together with geotourism will create job opportunities, with an infrastructure that includes all the amenities for tourism. It should also include a boost to the local economy which includes promotion of local food and culture, festivals, etc.

   Dr Enas raised the possibility of so called "trans-national geoparks", where two countries sharing a border share the costs and responsibilities for a geopark located in shared territory. This has interesting implications for peace, security and trans-national cooperation between African countries.

   This summarises what some might see as a grand vision that Dr Enas laid out in the talk. Furthermore, she closed by noting women are likely to be the main recipients of benefit from moves towards achieving the SDGs to ameliorate climate warming in this way. Dr Enas closed by thanking all in attendance and inviting attendees to the next climate conference (COP 27) to be held in Egypt at the end of the year.

   The plenary session raised concerns about who controls the process of designating geoparks and conservation areas in Africa, with the respect of land rights for indigenous peoples being key, citing the ongoing cases of the displacement of Maasai communities in Ngorongoro's newly designated UNESCO Geopark and conservation area and the Okavango region where oil is being prospected [3] with negative impact on local rural life and ecology. The ensuing discussions were best encapsulated by a question raised by Dr Nezaphi-Delle Odeleye around the fact that existing international designations which should protect designated areas were being ignored by governments and multi-national entities. Why should further efforts be given to designation of new geoparks if this does not change? Another contributor, Lebo, from the floor noted that: "We have to do things differently!"

   From the general viewpoint, it was - as people remarked - an important, enlightening and insightful event thanks to Dr Enas' excellent presentation and the inspiring level of participation.

 We are left however with disquieting patterns in sub-Saharan Africa, of conservation areas  being used to facilitate exploitative business activities under the auspices of UN affiliated bodies. This is a great disappointment because geoheritage sites and geotourism do represent opportunity for transformational economic impact on African development from the significant disposable income of diasporan Africans worldwide, who might appear to be a ready-made and natural market for such tourism. However,  this does not appear to match with the capitalist tourism model envisaged by those at the helm seeking to exploit the African environment and wildlife through prospecting for lucrative minerals and oil and game hunting safaris for wealthy foreign tourists.

   If UNESCO designated geoparks, conservation areas and world heritage sites are considered only to be a "front" for exploitation of African resources, environment  and wildlife through collusion with business interests under the disingenuous guise of maintaining "conservation areas" (as the trend of examples in sub-Saharan Africa is suggesting), there will be little public support for the establishment of new UNESCO sites; only the support of governments that abuse their own citizens' rights. The UN SDGs are potentially a great guide and assistance to sustainable African development, but this should happen without designating UNESCO sites that facilitate  business activities which harm rather than support local indigenous communities.

 

Earth Science Events

 

 

August  9-10, 2022

International Conference on Tectonic Geomorphology and Paleoseismology

VISION: https://waset.org/tectonic-geomorphology-and-paleoseismology-conference-in-august-2022-in-lagos

VENUE: Lagos, Nigeria

 

November  1, 2022

International Conference on Agricultural Engineering, 

VISION:     

VENUE: Cape Town, South Africa

 

November  4, 2022

International Conference on Earth Science and Climate Change,

VISION: 

VENUE: Cape Town, South Africa

 

November  7-18, 2022

United Nations Climate Change Conference, 2022 (UNFCCC - COP27)

VISION: http://unfcc.int/calendar/events-list    

VENUE: Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

 

December  13, 2022

International Conference  on Agriculture, Biotechnology, Biological

and  Biosystems Engineering

VISION:  

VENUE: Cairo, Egypt

 

 

References

[1]  See  SAES Newsletter #41 for this report which was previously documented; rather than the report being repeated here.

[2] National Geographic Encyclopaedia, Scientific Studies: The five mass extinctions in chronological order arising from: 

1) Intense Ice Age - 445 million years ago, 2) Drastic drop in oxygen levels - 270-260 million years ago, 3) asteroid impacts, intense volcanic activity - 252 million years ago, 4) In debate: volcanic activity and asteroids - 200 million years ago, 5) asteroid impact- 66 million years ago, 6) Homosapiens - human induced climate change, pollution, etc.

[3] Links  shared in the plenary session:-www.rewild.org/reshare/save-the-okavango; www.iucncongress2020/motion/136; www.unesco.org/archive/2021/whc21-44com-7B-en.pdf; www.bankingonclimatechaos.org

 

 

*Board of the Society of African Earth Scientists: Dr Enas Ahmed (Egypt), Osmin Callis (Secretary - Guyana/Nigeria), Mathada Humphrey (South Africa), Ndivhuwo Cecilia Mukosi (South Africa), Damola Nadi (Nigeria), Dr Chukwunyere Kamalu (Chair - Nigeria).

NEWSLETTER #42 - SOCIETY OF AFRICAN EARTH SCIENTISTS

 

Volume 11, Issue 1, January - March 2022

CONTENT

Chair's Foreword

The Importance of Groundwater in Africa - New Perspectives

Earth Science Events

References and Selected Reading

Chair's Foreword*

This quarter we look forward to the first international meeting of the Society  (Climate Change in Africa: Geosciences and Sustainable Development) which, due to continued travel restrictions, is held online on 15th May 2022. Dr Enas Ahmed agreed to deliver a presentation  on the role of Geoparks in sustainable development in Africa, particularly in regard to the achievement of SDGs for 2050, 2063 and COP27, which is to be hosted in Egypt in November 2022. 

  In this issue we return to the subject of African groundwater resources. In early newsletters  the importance of groundwater as a source of freshwater for African communities was emphasized and readers were made aware of the online resources provided by organisations such as the International  Association of Hydrogeologists [1]. In 2012 a British Geological Survey mapping  research exercise revealed just how vast Africa's sources of groundwater are[2].  A more recent study in 2021 complements this work by showing that not only are these resources substantial, but also that these groundwater resources have the potential to rapidly recharge after sustained rainfall.

Source: US Geological Survey

The Importance of Groundwater in Africa - New Perspectives

A recent publication by researchers presented in Environmental Letters [3] has created a new focus or even perspective on African water resources and how these ought to be managed. The findings represent a new opportunity to review how we manage groundwater to meet much of African  community freshwater needs, even withstanding drought and climate change effects. 

   The vast resources mean that Africa's water problem is not the lack of an abundance of water resources, but rather how to extract this resource in a way which is convenient and cost effective. We are encouraged by the work of Dr Alaa Ahmed et al [4], which illustrates how groundwater in Africa could be more easily and cheaply extracted.  Dr Ahmed and his team at the University of South Australia, were able to use Flinders Ranges to demonstrate how groundwater can be located without resort to expensive drilling. Using satellite imagery, geospatial techniques and adding information on drainage, rock types, fractures, and rainfall, Dr Ahmed and his team mapped the region into 3 distinct classifications for groundwater, making areas harbouring groundwater as a resource more easy to locate. For example, the study implied that the most effective groundwater recharge zones (where water collects as it moves downward) were located where there are numerous rock fractures, low drainage and a gentle slope. Conversely, the least effective groundwater recharge area, where we were then less likely to find groundwater, lay on top of shale and  siltstone beds. Indeed by creating satellite maps of where groundwater is more likely to be found we go a long way to improving Africa's access to water resources at an affordable cost.

   The study of Scanlon/McDonald et al[4a] is encouraging in revealing the potential for the rapid recharge of aquifers in the sub-Saharan Africa region.  The study shows that even though certain sub-Saharan African aquifers face water level declines, the levels consistently and quickly recovered during rainy periods. These conclusions are based on data from a 18 year study conducted from 2002 to 2020. The robustness of the data is such as to lead one author to state quite confidently  one could simply assume that these aquifers are guaranteed to recharge fully every several years. The researchers estimated that the annual groundwater recharge of the African continent exceeds the flow of the Congo, Nile, Niger and Zambezi rivers each year. According to reports this amounts to 15,000 cubic km per decade (or 1500 cubic km per year)[5].

   Readers are reminded of modern studies (Pathak and Singh)[6], which avail the researcher of the mathematical tools to model the recharge of sub-Saharan African aquifers under the assumption of one-dimensional flow in unsaturated porous media on gentle slopes. For instance the authors cite the following expression of the flow through an aquifer used by Hantush and Cruz [7]

  q = -K(y-mx)[dy/dx], where m = tan (theta)             (1)

K is the coefficient of permeability regarded either as a constant or a function of distance in the direction of flow, x. Whilst  y is distance from the floor of the aquifer  perpendicular to direction of flow. The gentle slope of the floor of the aquifer is given by m, with slope angle, theta.

   The study by Scanlon/McDonald et al found that most of the 13 African aquifers studied increased their storage over the period of the study. There were also swings in the water storage which were linked to climate patterns such as El Nino and the Indian Ocean Dipole, which tended to increase rainfall in East Africa; whilst La Nina climate pattern had the opposite effect decreasing rainfall in Southern Africa. West Africa saw an increase in water levels in aquifers probably due to land use changes. The researchers reported rising groundwater levels where the area of deep-rooted shrubland had been cleared for crops with shallow roots.

Earth Science Events

May 15, 2022, 3-5pm (London time), 4-6pm (Egypt/South Africa), 10am (Eastern)

Society of African Earth Scientists International Conference Meeting on Climate Change in Africa: Geosciences and Sustainable Development

VISION: a) Geoparks and Geotourism as an Initiative for Achieving Goals of 2050, 2063 and COP27; b) Africa Post-COP26 & Post-Doctoral Research Review (CR4D)

Email:saescientists@hotmail.co.uk to request zoom invitation

VENUE: Online via Zoom

August  9-10, 2022

International Conference on Tectonic Geomorphology and Paleoseismology

VISION: https://waset.org/tectonic-geomorphology-and-paleoseismology-conference-in-august-2022-in-lagos

VENUE: Lagos, Nigeria

November  7-18, 2022

United Nations Climate Change Conference, 2022 (UNFCCC - COP27)

VISION: http://unfcc.int/calendar/events-list    

VENUE: Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

References

[1] Groundwater/hydrogeology links: http://iah.org/general-public/groundwater-links-videos

[2] BBC, Science and Environment, Huge Water Resources Exist Under Africa, April 2012.

[3] Bridget Scanlon, Ahraf Rateb, Asaf Anyamba, Seifu Kibede, Alan M. McDonald, Mohammad Shamsudduha, Jennifer Small, Alexander Sun, Richard G Taylor and Hua Xie, Linkages Between GRACE Water Storage, Hydrologic Extremes and Climate Teleconnections in Major African Aquifers, Environmental Research Letters 2022.

[4] A. Ahmed, A. Alrajhi, S. Alquwaizany, Identification of Groundwater Potential Recharge Zones in Flinders Ranges, Water, 2021; 13(18): 257DOI:10.3390/w131182571

[4a]  Bridget Scanlon, Alan M. McDonald et al, ibid.,

[5]  Ibid.,

[6] Shreekant P. Pathak, Twinkle Singh, An Analysis on Groundwater Recharge by Mathematical Model in Inclined Porous Media, International Scholarly Research Notices, Volume 2014, Article ID 189369, 4 pages. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/189369

[7] Hantush, M. M. and Cruz, J., Hydrogeologic foundations in support of ecosystem restoration. United States Environmental Protection Agency. 1999; EPA/600/R-99/104.

    

*Board of the Society of African Earth Scientists: Dr Enas Ahmed (Egypt), Osmin Callis (Secretary - Guyana/Nigeria), Mathada Humphrey (South Africa), Ndivhuwo Cecilia Mukosi (South Africa), Damola Nadi (Nigeria), Dr Chukwunyere Kamalu (Chair - Nigeria).

NEWSLETTER #41 - SOCIETY OF AFRICAN EARTH SCIENTISTS

Volume 10, Issue 4, October - December 2021

CONTENT

Chair's Foreword

COP26: Africa's Priorities and How the Continent Should Address Climate Change

Earth Science Events

References and selected reading

Chair's Foreword*

The final quarter of 2021 saw another active period of conference events of critical importance globally. These conferences included the UN Food Systems Summit in October 2021, which many scientists globally, did not attend in protest against the perceived control of the summit by industrial agribusiness interests as promoted though AGRA  (Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa) and its chair,  Agnes Kalibata, whose  appointment as  UN General Special Envoy to the summit  was seen as a conflict of interest and a move destined to sideline the voices of small farm holders, who make up the vast majority of food producers in Africa and other parts of the developing world, and alternatives to industrial agriculture, such as agroecology.  This action was supported by various African based civil society organisations, including AFSA (Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa)  and its partners.

   October also featured, of course, the Conference of the Parties (COP) 26th annual climate summit, held in Glasgow, UK, which overall was a disappointment. The total pledges of carbon reduction agreed only allows the world to achieve a 1.8 degrees centigrade cap on global temperature rise compared with the set target of 1.5 degrees. However, there were some positives to take from COP26, such as the reduction in climate scepticism, the increased engagement of the youth in climate action, the commitment  to end the burning of coal, 100 nations agreeing to phaseout methane - a very potent greenhouse gas - and the agreement of the US and China to cooperate.

  For Africa, the key  climate issues from these events rest on the priorities set by the continental negotiation team for COP26, led by T. Gahouma Bekale, and the role that needs to be played by the ecosystem-based approach  (which is agroecology) in mitigating the  land and soil degradation that is threatened by climate change. Indeed, AFSA were able to report on  a side event of COP 26, a workshop entitled: "Agroecology as ecosystem based adaptation in agriculture". Subsequently AFSA  has published  key climate action demands of African governments  endorsed by over 50 civil society organisations across  Africa, representing millions of  African citizens: Our governments are urged to make stronger demands of the global north in cutting its emissions, as they are the historical high emitters;  scale up climate finance planning, funding, implementation, monitoring; focus more on adaptation than mitigation - since African countries are responsible for little of the emissions; finance for climate action; prioritise local actions to reduce GHGs; implement agroecology practice, put human rights at the centre of the climate agenda.

   In the following article we are again revisiting the question of how Africa must address climate change. The question is so crucial it must be continually  reviewed and the solutions developed over time. We are therefore bound to return to the subject again in future. Currently we must return to this question in the light of the COP 26 Summit and its side events, as noted.

Agricultural terracing - Gikongoro, Central Rwanda

COP26: Africa's Priorities and How the Continent Should Address Climate Change

In short,  the three main priorities made by African negotiators at COP 26 were[1]

1. Finance for adaptation to climate change

2. Technology Transfer

3. Capacity building for a low-carbon economy

   All of these priorities appear fairly straightforward. However, issues of food sovereignty as addressed by African civil society  may require specific definition of technology transfer that does not compromise food  sovereignty.

      We return to  the discussion of how Africa must address climate change -  last reviewed in SAES Newsletter #36, 2020. Then it was noted that

• The UN 2030 Agenda for sustainable development offers a possible blueprint for development and prosperity in the process of capacity building addressing climate change.
• According to Nigerian economist, Okonjo-Iweala, there could be $26 Trillion (USD) in benefits from capacity building to tackle climate change, but how much of this coming to Africa is yet to be estimated.
• Africa's huge unemployed youth population should be seen as an asset to be employed as the workforce in  future sustainable development  projects, rather than a threat.

   In the light of COP 26 October-November 2021, some of the discussion noted above has moved on, such as the discussions on finance at COP26, and some aspects of the discussion must be reiterated: such as the need to address youth unemployment in conjunction with development projects to ameliorate climate change. Also in need of highlighting, in considering how Africa should address climate change, is the  promotion of the development of renewable energy, and the promotion of agroecology and ecosystem based agriculture. AFSA in their climate demands to governments highlight the need for climate planning as well as climate monitoring. 

   In June 2021 a partnership including the African Academy of Sciences, African Climate Policy Centre of UNECA and others reviewed postdoctoral climate research coming out of  the CR4D - Climate Research for Development programme, aiming to improve the continent's climate data, and climate forecasting. Thanks to the success of this African led initiative,  Africa has made some progress in building its climate forecasting capacity and this must continue[2].

   It is clear that the infrastructure and capacity building to address climate change, however it is eventually funded,  represents an opportunity to address virtually all of the  salient problems facing the continent at once. The first of these problems, climate change itself,  is the most severe. The second, youth unemployment, if not addressed will  also lead to disaster for the continent. The third is the general need for sustainable development. All of these issues can be addressed in tandem.

   It is not clear how much of the  $100 Billion (US dollars) pledged annually to help developing countries ameliorate climate effects will come to Africa. Tanguy Gahouma Bekale[3] has suggested this assistance to adapt to climate change  should be increased ten-fold to  $1 Trillion (US dollars).  

   What areas of climate warming amelioration and adaptation are to be targeted with the ensuing annual funding to Africa? Well three areas that need to be addressed have been suggested above and may include the following: a) renewable energy - rural and urban household electrification, b) renewable energy  - transportation and c) ecosystem based agriculture or agroecology practice implementation.

   The promotion of renewables, particularly solar and wind energy will enable extensive off-grid electricity for rural and urban  communities throughout Africa much quicker than if we attempted to get these  areas (especially rural) connected to the national grid. The cost of renewables is starting to fall below that of fossil fuels, so that a revolutionary move towards renewable off-grid installations will happen in the not too distant future. As well as this, a renewables sector will be part of African nations' climate  NDCs. Although, in accord with the AFSA climate action demands of governments, more emphasis needs to be placed on climate adaptation.

   The change to renewable energy powered vehicles to  ameliorate climate warming  will require significant investment. This has to take into account not simply the cost of electric vehicles, but also the cost of providing suitable  quality roads, electric charging points, a stronger electrical grid, etc [4]. Given these challenges, it seems widespread adoption in Africa of electric vehicles is some way off. 

      Lastly, a crucial area of carbon reduction globally is agriculture. Africa has a history in which agroecology reflects the traditional farming practices  inherited by the small farm holders that make up the vast majority of farmers in Africa.  In line with the climate mitigation  contributions of the continent, a focus should be made on averting imminent threats to soil fertility and land conservation. Agroecology represents the best practice in maintaining the health and abundance of  soil, by preventing both land and soil degradation. Furthermore, it represents an extremely low-carbon form of agriculture, enabling Africa's effective contribution to climate change amelioration. It relies on indigenous technology, sometimes updated or merged with modern methods, and is very cost effective and  familiar to African rural communities.

   

   

Earth Science Events

February  21-24, 2022

Fourth African Regional Conference on Geosynthetics

VISION: website:https://geoafrica2021.org; Event ID:1398866

VENUE: Cairo, Egypt

March  21-23, 2022

International  Symposium on Geo-resources and the Environment

VISION: Event website: https://isyge2022.scienceconf.org/

VENUE: Hammamet, Tunisia

May 15, 2022, 3-5pm (London time), 4-6pm (Egypt/South Africa), 10am (Eastern)

Society of African Earth Scientists International Conference Meeting on Climate Change in Africa: Geosciences and Sustainable Development

VISION: a) Geoparks and Geotourism as an Initiative for Achieving Goals of 2050, 2063 and COP27; b) Africa Post-COP26 & Post-Doctoral Research Review (CR4D)

Email:saescientists@hotmail.co.uk to request zoom invitation

VENUE: Online via Zoom

August  9-10, 2022

International Conference on Tectonic Geomorphology and Paleoseismology

VISION: https://waset.org/tectonic-geomorphology-and-paleoseismology-conference-in-august-2022-in-lagos

VENUE: Lagos, Nigeria

References

[1] Kibukuru, W., Priorities for Africa at COP 26 and beyond, Africa Renewal Magazine, Nov. 2021. https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/november-2021/priorities-africa-cop26-and-beyond#:~:text=Three%20top%20priorities%20at%20COP26,total%20spent%20on%20climate%20action.

[2] Gahouma-Bekale, T., COP 26 on climate: Top Priorities for Africa, Africa Renewal, July 2021. https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/july-2021/cop26-climate-top-priorities-africa

[3] See report on the African Academy of Sciences, African Climate Policy Centre of UNECA, African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology, and others' Review  of  CR4D Postdoctoral Climate  Research Development Closing Workshop, in SAES Newsletter #39, April-June 2021.

[4] Techpoint.Africa, Global EV Adoption: The reality in Africa may be different, June, 2021. https://techpoint.africa/2021/06/09/global-ev-adoption-the-reality-in-africa-may-be-different/#:~:text=Electric%20vehicles%20remain%20rare%20in,on%20its%20roads%20are%20EVs.

 

 *Board of the Society of African Earth Scientists: Dr Enas Ahmed (Egypt), Osmin Callis (Secretary - Guyana/Nigeria), Mathada Humphrey (South Africa), Ndivhuwo Cecilia Mukosi (South Africa), Damola Nadi (Nigeria),  Dr Chukwunyere Kamalu (Chair - Nigeria).

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