NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 4 — Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for re-calibration of climate financing to “the correct level of support” in a bid to avert a crisis in Africa.
The South Korean diplomat who spoke while on a tour of Nairobi’s Mukuru Kwa Reuben slum on Monday challenged developed countries and humanitarian organizations to enhance their support to effectively mitigate the climate crisis facing the continent.
The former Secretary General who is in Nairobi to attend the Africa Union Climate Summit insisted that depriving the African continent of resources when it comes to climate crisis mitigation is an injustice.
“The correct level of support should be increased by tenfold otherwise we will never be able to address the climate crisis in Africa. I am urging the international communities to increase the allocation from the $56Billion yearly, the minimum should be $160Billion,” he said.
Speaking Mukuru Kwa Reuben where he visited a climate adaptation program on waste management, Moon termed the Africa Union Climate Summit that has attracted 23 heads of state and government as pivotal in the discourse on climate action.
“The most urgent concern is how we can fight climate change. Climate issue can’t be handled by one country or organization, all countries include the United Nations should put their head together so that necessary actions are taken,” Moon stated.
He pointed out that Africa is suffering the most from climate change although it contributes the least to carbon dioxide and Greenhouse gas emissions.
Resource mobilization
Moon emphasized the commitment of the United Nations and other development partners to mobilize more resources to boost the mitigation of the climate crisis which has led to persistent drought and drying up of water courses.
“Climate phenomena maybe a global crisis but the impact is felt locally by people like yourselves. That’s not fair, that’s not justice. United Nation during my time and that of my successor are trying to organize all necessary funding from all partners particularly rich countries,” the former UN Secretary-General said.
Moon decried the slow pace of transformation in the urban slums despite the United Nations and development partners’ efforts to solve the issues surrounding abject poverty and poor sanitation conditions.
“Please don’t lose your hope. The situation that I witnessed in Kenya in 2007 seems to be almost continuing as it was. I am very sad and am going to meet President William Ruto and I will discuss this matter,” he noted.
French Minister for Development, Francophonie and International Partnership Chrysoula Zacharapoulou who accompanied Moon for the tour in Mukuru Kwa Reuben emphasized on need for inclusivity to support climatic adaptation programs in the African continent.
“The solutions that are going to come from the African Continent who are facing a lot of difficulties but at the same time you have everything like resources and ideas.We are here to be inspired by the African solutions,” Zacharapoulou said.
Moon lauded the residents of Mukuru Kwa Reuben slum dwellings for investing in a people adaptation program to deal with waste management in the highly populated slum.
Most residents in villages use non-sewer systems, mainly pit latrines, posing a challenge in waste management.
Non-sewer technology
A Mukuru Kwa Reuben youth group has come up with a non-sewer technology, using the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) to manage faecal waste.
The waste is converted into valuable end-products such as organic fertilizer and insect-based animal feed using the black soldier fly.
The youth group is now seeking partnerships with development partners to grow it to a mega scale and help the community through employment opportunities.
“We must make sure we invest in adaptation so that people who are suffering from climate crisis can overcome this struggle,” Moon said.
The African Climate Summit has been taunted as an opportunity to chart the Africa’s direction towards an equitable and sustainable future that protects the continent’s people and communities.
The summit is expected to marshal a coordinated front African leaders to call for a fast and fair phase-out of all fossil fuels at COP28.
