Kaburu Anthony: Water crisis hurting Africa’s poorest

Kaburu Anthony: Water crisis hurting Africa’s poorest:  Sub-Saharan Africa suffers from chronically overburdened water systems under increasing stress from fast-growing urban areas. Weak governme...

Water crisis hurting Africa’s poorest

 Sub-Saharan Africa suffers from chronically overburdened water systems under increasing stress from fast-growing urban areas. Weak governments, corruption, mismanagement of resources, poor long-term investment, and a lack of environmental research and urban infrastructure only exacerbate the problem.

Despite the vital importance of water to all aspects of human life, the sector has been plagued by a chronic lack of political support, poor governance and under investment. Lack of Access to clean drinking water is undermining efforts to end extreme poverty and disease in the world's poorest countries.

Currently, over 300 million Africans lack access to clean and safe water for drinking. It is unacceptable that another 485 million people—almost entirely the poorest & most marginalized in the world live without access to safe drinking water.

In another sad note; dirty water kills an estimated 750,000 African children under the age of five annually. Water scarcity also affects 1 in 3 people in the African Region, according to the World Health Organization. This isn’t good news.

Moreover, as one of the most water-stressed countries in the world, South Africa experiences 115 deaths every hour from diseases linked to poor hygiene, improper sanitation, and contaminated water. While attaining safe, clean drinking water in Africa can be challenging, it is not impossible.

The impact of inadequate water access stretches across all sectors of development: health, education, gender equality, economic development, food security, and even national security. Safe, accessible water is essential to the health of people and communities, critical to ecosystems, and indispensable for economic prosperity.

Water is therefore more than a commodity – it’s a source of life and livelihoods. Every culture in the world recognizes water as the source of all life, and yet the international community has held back from giving access to water the prominence and backing it deserves.

We cannot enter the 21st century with business as usual, there are a number of sustainable clean water solutions that can be implemented to provide families in Africa with access to safe water as mentioned below;

Set Up Rain Catchment Tanks

In areas that receive adequate rainwater, a rain catchment system can be an economical solution to water scarcity. Also referred to as “rain harvesting,” these systems work by connecting downspouts (pipes for carrying rainwater from a rain gutter) to a water tank that is capable of holding up to 100,000 liters of water.

Rain catchment tanks are cost-effective, easy to use, and are often used as primary sources of water in water-stressed areas. By collecting rainfall in rain catchment areas throughout the year, communities are able to maintain access to water during drier seasons of the year.

Protect Natural Springs

Natural spring water has been used for centuries as a form of water supply. However, if a spring is not properly protected, it risks being contaminated which makes the water unsafe to drink. Spring water supply systems are typically constructed by building a spring box or spring house around the spring to keep out animals, leaves, and debris.

The water from the spring can then be piped to a holding tank or hand-dipped. Unfortunately, springs are open to groundwater runoff which makes them easily contaminated. Furthermore, because the water source may also be easily tampered with, a protective owner must ensure that it is covered around the clock to keep the water safe and clean.

Install Sand Dams

Sand dams are a low-maintenance and low-cost solution to getting clean water in Africa. A sand dam is essentially a reinforced cement wall that is built across a sand river. The dam helps retain rainwater by capturing the soil laden water behind it, as the sand dam blocks run off water in the riverbed and stores clean water in the soil.

This makes for a semi-reliable option for water conservation in dry environments. A mature sand dam can store millions of liters of water – refilling after each rainfall providing a year round supply of clean water to hundreds of people. In addition to providing a reliable water source to communities living in rural, remote areas, sand dams can also provide enough water for tree planting and vegetable nurseries.

Rehabilitate Old Wells

Many communities in South Africa are able to receive clean water through the rehabilitation of old wells. Fixing old wells can help address water, hygiene, and sanitation issues that are often linked to illness and disease.

There are many ways to repair a well, such as building a wall around the top with a reinforced concrete drainage apron that prevents surface water from running into the well, in addition to utilizing sand dams (see above).

Unfortunately, old wells must be consistently cleaned to stay free of disinfection by scrubbing down the sides with a chlorine solution to kill microbes. This makes them an efficient, yet hard to maintain option for clean water in Africa.

Build New Wells

One of the most effective ways to get clean water in Africa is through the building of new wells. While one of the simplest methods involves hand digging wells, this is a risky option due to the dangers involved in construction. Also, if left uncovered, these wells can also easily become contaminated, leading to water-borne illness.

The building of “shallow wells” (lower in depth), in contrast, can provide clean water at a low cost, and are safer to build. Shallow wells can be built using a simple “small-rig” machine that has the power to dig up to 150 to 200 feet. They are also portable and can be moved from community to community.

On average, the cost to build a well in Africa is about $8,000 USD. For this amount, a hole can be drilled and a pump installed that allows the community to access safe, clean drinking water. In addition, the village is provided with sanitation and hygiene training to minimize the risk of contamination.

Each well is able to serve about 2,000 people and will generally last up to 20 years if properly maintained. To maintain the well and address repairs, a small group of leaders are selected from a village and trained to care for and maintain the well.

As I conclude; Those in the developed world with access to clean water may take it for granted, but if you live in an area without access to clean water, it drastically affects your sanitation and your health—and for women, in particular—it can be devastating, because the women are often the people in the community who are spending their days and risking their safety to find and carry home the water.

Finally, Governments must build relationships with each other to prevent water stress from turning into conflicts. Stakeholders must also commit to work collectively and adhere to key behaviors that strengthen countries’ capabilities to deliver permanent and accountable access to water and sanitation services.

Together, we can show unfailing commitment to equity, and ensure that clean water is accessible to everyone, everywhere, and anytime through innovative partnerships and creativity. #WaterAccess #Sustainability #SDG6 #SDGs #HumanityandInclusivity #Water #SustainableCommunities 

Kaburu Anthony: Covid19 Pandemic has exposed global hunger gaps

Kaburu Anthony: Covid19 Pandemic has exposed global hunger gaps:  The direct consequences of a novel disease outbreak like Covid-19 are immediate and obvious: rising numbers of illnesses and deaths. But th...

Covid19 Pandemic has exposed global hunger gaps

 The direct consequences of a novel disease outbreak like Covid-19 are immediate and obvious: rising numbers of illnesses and deaths. But the world is also rapidly facing the secondary impacts, which can be even more profound, especially in low-income countries.

With food supply chains worldwide at a risk of disruption over the coming year, the coronavirus pandemic is exacerbating an earlier, more widespread, more entrenched crisis, one that impacts more than 820 million people: global hunger.

Difficulty in maintaining food production, restrictions on trade and limitations on labour mobility can lead to lower farm incomes and food shortages, adding another layer of complexity to the global fightback against Covid-19.

So, as doctors and nurses rally to save as many patients as possible, governments and public authorities must protect the rest of the world’s most vulnerable by recognising the fundamental role of agriculture in minimising the multiplier threat of coronavirus, and warding off more hunger and poverty.

The threat is greatest in countries where malnutrition is already high yet agricultural production, often carried out by ageing, vulnerable farmers, remains the backbone of the economy. In several African countries, including Kenya, Mali and Chad, agriculture, forestry and fishing account for more than a third of gross domestic product (GDP) and as much as 58 per cent in Sierra Leone.

With so much at stake, these regions and nations need both short-term support to ensure this extraordinary pandemic does not create an even worse hunger crisis, as well as long-term support to be able to thrive despite other global threats to food security, including climate change and crop pests.

To deliver on this, policymakers must take clear, pre-emptive actions based on leading science and research to bolster and protect the agricultural sector.

Many parts of the world are entering a new planting season, yet farmers are likely to be facing unusual financial pressures that might limit their access to seeds, inputs and labour and prevent them from planting as normal.

Governments and landlords could firstly consider easing this burden by reducing or delaying farmers’ tax and social insurance payments and lowering their rents.

Further along the chain, farm labourers also need support. Many will be migrant workers prevented from working by travel restrictions and in turn, prevented from sowing the seeds and reaping the harvests needed to provide continuous food supplies.

Germany has already taken steps to relax restrictions for farm workers, who should be deemed essential around the world.

The global food market also needs careful management, while avoiding protectionist measures that would undermine world markets, to limit the risk of food shortages in regions or countries. We have already seen Vietnam and Cambodia  banning some exports of crops like rice, which shifts the dynamic of the global food chain and could drive up global prices and limit supplies elsewhere.

For example, in previous outbreaks of Ebola, rice prices in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone increased by more than 30 per cent and the price of cassava, a staple in Liberia, skyrocketed by 150 per cent. One measure introduced in China involved opening a “green channel” to expedite the delivery of fresh agricultural products and prohibiting unauthorised roadblocks.

Governments must also reinforce food security by investing in food safety. Though the original source of Covid-19 remains unconfirmed, the outbreak has raised awareness of the risk of animal-borne disease from wild food markets, which led to a ban in China.

With more than 820 million going without adequate food worldwide, hunger is still likely to kill more people than Covid-19 this year, placing additional stress on already fragile public health systems, and exacerbating the rising associated challenges of migration and conflict.

But with the help of agricultural science and research – it is possible to minimise the impact of Covid-19 on our food systems and – as a result – on global hunger, health and security.

In the short term, the public and private sectors must take steps to fortify our food supply but more importantly, we must also future-proof our food systems in the longer term to ensure future health crises do not also feed a hunger crisis.

As I conclude, the world is living through unprecedented times. This pandemic should be a reminder that nowhere in the world is safe while many parts of it lack the needed health infrastructure to protect their populations.

 If we do not act now, I predict that a further 95 million will go hungry by the end of 2020, [representing] a dramatic 14 percent spike in the number of hungry compared to last year Now is the time to heed God’s call to care for the “least among us. #ZeroHunger #SDG2 #StopCoronavirus #StrongerTogether #Humanity #Resilient #SDGs #poverty #humanityandinclusivity

Kaburu Anthony: What Biden’s Administration means for climate change

Kaburu Anthony: What Biden’s Administration means for climate change: President-elect Biden will be sworn into office in the midst of four deeply intertwined global crises: the health crisis, the economic crisi...

What Biden’s Administration means for climate change

President-elect Biden will be sworn into office in the midst of four deeply intertwined global crises: the health crisis, the economic crisis, the racial injustice crisis and the climate crisis around the world. He has promised to build back better by taking bold action on all four simultaneously, including making unprecedented investments in health care, infrastructure and clean energy. 

The climate crisis is here now, and action is urgently needed.

The political landscape has also shifted as the effects of climate change hit home and young people mobilize to demand a response that matches the scale of the problem. It is now clear that climate change is taking a tremendous toll on our economy and threatens the stability of our financial system. On the other hand, the economic benefits and job opportunities from taking climate action are now much more widely recognized.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, climate change featured more prominently during this campaign than during any previous election cycle. Indeed, it’s a hard issue to ignore when record wildfires tear through the West and all over the world.

The Biden administration will have its work cut out for it to repair damage done by the Trump administration, which pursued a deregulatory, pro-fossil-fuel agenda with a vengeance.

The Trump administration has attempted to reverse more than 125 environmental rules. It has worked to systematically sideline scientific and environmental experts in favor of industry executives and lobbyists, eroding the capacity of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Hundreds of measures will be required to not only reverse the Trump administration’s rollbacks of environmental safeguards, but to roll forward an agenda that meets the challenge. There is no dearth of ideas about what should be done. In addition to his own climate platform, Biden will be able to draw on comprehensive reports from the dozens of proposals from non-governmental organizations.

To be successful, however, Biden will have to set priorities and zero in on a set of high-impact measures that he can implement through executive action in addition to pursuing an expansive climate action plan. Biden’s climate priorities should be guided by three overarching principles:

3 Principles to Guide A New Era of Climate Action

1.       Inclusive prosperity: Smart climate policies can not only reduce damages from unabated climate change, but also unlock massive opportunities for economic growth and reduce inequality. The challenge now is to design policies that seize this opportunity and advance economic and racial justice, as well as build support among a diverse set of stakeholders powerful enough to put these policies into action.

2.       Follow the carbon: Success must be measured by progress in reducing emissions, not just by dollars spent. Systemic change is needed in the sectors responsible for the bulk of U.S. heat-trapping pollution. That means increasingly focusing on transportation and industry while accelerating ongoing progress toward decarbonizing the power sector.

3.       All hands on deck: During the last four years, leadership on climate change has, out of necessity, come from state and local governments and the private sector. As the Biden administration pursues its ambitious climate agenda, we cannot afford to lose any momentum among subnational actors. It is essential to design policies that empower, support and complement action by states, cities and companies, while establishing ambitious national targets and providing resources that can only come from the federal government.

Priority Actions to Curb Climate Change in the United States

To implement his plan for a clean energy revolution and environmental justice, Biden should focus on these 10 priority actions, drawing on the principles above:

Commit to cut total greenhouse gas emissions 45-50% by 2030.

Biden’s campaign platform called for achieving zero emissions from power plants by 2035 and reaching net-zero emissions economy-wide by 2050. He should reiterate these targets as president and add a 2030 target to drive near-term ambition across all sectors.

Biden should adopt a well-grounded, but ambitious 2030 target in the range of 45-50% below 2005 levels. This would require the Biden administration to establish strong policies that build on and complement leadership exercised by countries, states, cities and the private sector. The lower end of this range is the minimum reduction consistent with the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees C.

The upper end would do more to help the United States reestablish a position of leadership in international negotiations, but would almost certainly require Congress to enact significant new climate legislation.

Pass a major climate-smart stimulus package to build back better from COVID-19.

Biden has proposed $2 trillion of climate-smart investments to stimulate the economy, create jobs and grow America’s clean energy industry, which would dwarf those made through the 2009 economic recovery package. While Biden may not be able to get the entire package through a divided Congress, he will have significant leverage to insist that his priorities are included in must-pass legislation.

Series of high-leverage priorities will be needed to modernize our electricity grid, electrify school and transit buses, improve our transportation system, upgrade public schools, promote industrial innovation and restore trees to the landscape.

In addition to ensuring that at least 40% of the funding benefits disadvantaged communities, as Biden has pledged, these investments should be designed to catalyze progress toward both short-term and long-term emissions-reduction targets. That means not only deploying cost-effective technologies we have in hand, such as solar, wind, heat pumps and electric vehicles, but also investing in the future.

The country needs a robust program to develop a portfolio of technologies for the decades that follow, such as enhanced geothermal systems, clean hydrogen and zero-emissions steel.

Require all new passenger vehicles sold after 2035 to produce zero emissions.

The cost of electric vehicle batteries dropped 87% in the last decade. New electric vehicles are expected to reach price parity with similar combustion engine vehicles by 2025 or even sooner.

Buses and most other medium- and heavy-duty diesel vehicles can also be electrified, as called for in the Zero Emission Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicle would help reduce the disproportionate pollution burden borne by low-income countries and communities.

Ramp up clean electricity standards to 55% by 2025, 75% by 2030, and 100% by 2035.

Abundant clean electricity is essential — not only to eliminate pollution from all power plants by 2035, as Biden has committed to do, but also to decarbonize transportation, buildings and much of industry. Recent dramatic reductions in the cost of solar panels, wind turbines and lithium-ion batteries mean we can achieve a clean, reliable and affordable electricity system much faster than previously believed if supportive public policies are put in place.

These policies would be more durable if enacted through bipartisan legislation, but could also be adopted through regulations under the Clean Air Act. They should require reductions in pollution affecting frontline communities as well as ensuring that national targets are met.

Tackle super pollutants.

One bright spot for bipartisan cooperation during 2020 was the consensus reached on federal legislation to implement the Kigali amendments to phase down production and use of HFC “super pollutants.” Pound-for-pound, these greenhouse gases commonly used as refrigerants and more can have thousands of times the heat-trapping impact of carbon dioxide. If this legislation is not enacted before he assumes office, Biden should ask Congress to pass it swiftly next year.

Methane, the main component of natural gas, also traps far more heat than carbon dioxide on a pound-for-pound basis. The Biden administration should quickly reinstate and strengthen Obama-era EPA and Interior Department rules to curb methane leaks.

Set appliance and equipment standards to replace fossil fuels with electricity whenever feasible.

Almost 12% of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions come from burning fossil gas, oil or propane in our homes and other buildings for heat and hot water. These emissions could be cost-effectively eliminated in most cases by requiring the use of electric heat pumps when appliances need to be replaced.

Building codes should encourage new construction to go all-electric, saving money by not installing gas lines to begin with, as more and more cities are requiring. Some builders are reluctant to embrace this step because they think consumers want gas stoves.

It is worth noting, though, that the health impacts of burning gas in the kitchen are a growing concern. New induction cooktops, like those used in the Great British Baking Show tent, can boil water faster and offer more precise temperature control than gas.

Much of the low- and medium-temperature heat needed in industry can also be supplied by electric heat pumps, microwaves or other technologies, depending on the application, reducing local pollution as well as carbon dioxide emissions.

Set emission performance standards for cement, steel and plastics.

Some of the largest industrial sources of carbon dioxide involve emissions from chemical reactions in addition to fuel combustion for boilers and high temperature heat. A variety of innovative techniques are under development to reduce, eliminate or even reverse these emissions. But in some cases, the best approaches are not yet clear and may not even have been invented yet.

Given these circumstances, the Biden administration should work with Congress to provide substantial funding for research, development and demonstration projects. The administration can also use the country’s purchasing power to create markets for clean products and set technology-neutral emissions performance standards that get stronger over time.

Scale up carbon dioxide removal.

In addition to reducing direct emissions from sources as quickly as possible, it is increasingly clear that the United States will need to remove billions of tons of carbon dioxide already in the air to compensate for past emissions and sources that are extremely difficult to eliminate (such as methane emissions from cows, nitrous oxide emissions from farms, and carbon dioxide emissions from airplanes).

Without carbon removal, the United States will not be able to do its share to keep global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F), the limit scientists say is necessary for averting the worst impacts of climate change.

A natural way to capture carbon is to increase the number of trees on the landscape, whether in forests, agroforestry systems or urban areas. But there is a limit to the total amount of carbon we can sequester in trees and soils given the need to produce enough food to feed the growing global population. That means we also need to develop technological approaches, such as direct air capture and carbon mineralization.

Reestablish international leadership.

In addition to immediately rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, as Biden has promised to do, he should elevate climate action to the top tier of U.S. foreign policy. Well before the Glasgow climate conference scheduled for November 2021, the Biden administration should submit a new national climate plan to the United Nations that includes a top-line target of reducing emissions 45-50% below 2005 levels by 2030.

In addition, he should deliver the $2 billion outstanding from the United States’ 2014 pledge to the Green Climate Fund and make a new pledge to the Fund in line with other countries’ ambition.

Biden should also use heads-of-state meetings, such as the G7 and G20, to advance international cooperation and work with our allies to establish a large-scale mechanism for financing climate-smart infrastructure projects in developing countries.

Tax pollution.

Last, but not least, no climate policy is complete without a mechanism for holding emitters accountable and ensuring that science-based emissions reductions are achieved by ratcheting up the price on carbon if other measures are falling short. While some climate policy platforms focus primarily on carbon pricing and others dismiss market mechanisms as ineffective or even counterproductive, research shows that carbon pricing must be an integral component of an effective climate plan.

While it’s unclear when the votes may line up to get carbon pricing through Congress, Biden should make the case that it is better to tax pollution than jobs and look for any opportunity to advance this key component of climate policy.

Use Every Tool in the Box to Fight Climate Change

By taking the 10 actions outlined above, Biden can build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic and position the United States to achieve a safer and more prosperous net-zero future.

Given the magnitude of the climate crisis and the speed with which we need to transform major systems to cut emissions 45-50% within a decade and 100% by mid-century, we will need to use every tool at our disposal:

Standards are essential to prevent the construction of new highly polluting sources like fossil fuel boilers and transform the largest-emitting sectors.

Investments are essential to create jobs, build infrastructure and accelerate the transition to a zero-emissions economy.

Justice is essential to rectify the disproportionate pollution burdens imposed on countries to create the social cohesion needed to carry out this transformative agenda.

Pricing carbon pollution is essential to reinforce the effects of standards and investment, accelerate the retirement of existing pollution sources, influence millions of dispersed decision-makers simultaneously, and enforce emissions-reduction targets.

It will be a monumental task for the Biden administration to undo the damage from the Trump administration and catapult the country forward. Biden will have an historic opportunity that will not come again. He will need to exercise leadership and discipline to succeed.

My hope is that my outlined plans here will help him focus his attention on the measures that will make the biggest difference. One thing is clear: There is no time to waste. Climate action must be a priority from day one. #ParisClimateAgreement #SDG13 #Sustainability #UrgentActions #Adaptation #SDGs

Kaburu Anthony: We need to take climate change seriously

Kaburu Anthony: We need to take climate change seriously:  Given the devastating wildfires in the developed world, one could theorize about the development and application of the Sustainable Develop...

We need to take climate change seriously

 Given the devastating wildfires in the developed world, one could theorize about the development and application of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SGD #13: Climate Action. The SDGs are a framework developed to resolve some of the most significant social and environmental issues and create a more sustainable future for all.

It addresses most of the 21st century’s global problems such as poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice. Additionally, all 17 goals are interconnected, neatly done so that no one is left behind. The main objective is that they are all achieved by 2030.

But recent events in the western world call for something more urgent and radical. 2030 seems a bit far away. I’m favorable to the SDGs, and I recognize their objective, but I am wondering: are they working with regards to creating awareness and urgency about climate change? Perhaps their application needs to be reconsidered?

While we wonder about this, let’s talk about the recent Australian disaster. About 25 people were killed, and almost 2,000 homes have been destroyed. As a result, skies have turned orange and made breathing in the air in Sydney akin to smoking 37 cigarettes.

Note that these are only impacts on people. It is hard to discern the devastation of the earth land and biodiversity. You hear things like ‘worst fire ever recorded’ as a result of the ‘hottest season’ in history. What makes these wildfires unique is that they are extremely dangerous to the entire ecosystem because about 1 billion animals have been lost.

As a consequence, scientists are apprehensive about the long-term harm to many sensitive ecosystems. Since the catastrophe began, there has been an even bigger impact not only for Australia but for the entire global climate due to the amount of climate-warming carbon dioxide emissions that have been released into the atmosphere.

And what has led us to this point of climate change catastrophe? I do not have all the answers, but I suppose the SDGs were developed as a tool that promises to take care of such disasters. It was reported that the fires started in different ways: such as lightning and human actions, including arson. That being said, it’s the climate conditions that give solid fuel for the fires to grow and spread.

In such a severe event as this, you’d think that people would have a 360-degree change in behavior and attitude towards climate change within a day, rather than waiting until the 21 or 66-day threshold of the time it takes for people to adopt new practice; sadly that’s not the case. Even though we should embrace the 2030 long-term perspective, change is required NOW, today, not tomorrow.

I am awestruck, just like many other people, as I see one climate catastrophe unfold after another. With a question about the implementation of the SDGs, question being: does the institutionalization of the SDGs decelerate the implications of climate change? Has our behavior as human species changed since they were developed? If so, how?

You might argue that an answer to the above question requires an empirical study to be conducted first. Yes, it does. However, you can also look at how governments’ efforts impact our behavior because government representatives and politicians were among the dignitaries who were involved in developing the SDGs.

Governments and politicians are typically expected to be at the forefront when it comes to the development of such a framework, and therefore should automatically become its advocates. Also, they have the power to impose compliance. But is that what is happening now? NO!

Take, for example, the disaster in Australia. Australia’s government developed a new National Bushfire Recovery Agency to assist in providing funds for fire relief and commissioned payments to volunteer firefighters.

However, just like many other political leaders all around the world, Australia’s elected leaders have been hesitant in dealing with their country’s contributions to climate change, which, as discussed, has been a significant factor in the bushfires. 

Australia is the world’s biggest exporter of coal, and both of Australia’s major parties are in courtship for support from the country’s robust mining industry – none more so than Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison. It has been reported that he refutes the correlation between Australia’s reliance on coal, its greenhouse gas emissions, the ongoing blazes, and the consequences of this for Australians.

People were furious with him, not only for choosing to be on vacation in Hawaii during the country’s bushfire disaster but also about his climate change denial. Wow… like, what? How could he… and why? Well, (coal) money talks, right? Later on, he did try to portray a different view in favor of climate change but, well… I will reserve my comment on that for a separate blog post.

This leads me to my next question, the SDGs were developed by the United Nations member states – isn’t Australia one of them? You bet it is. One of the things that I find the most puzzling is how the most influential person in a country can circumvent conversations about climate change, that this person does not engage in more significant conversations concerning an agenda they have agreed on and signed up for with other countries.

How, then, can we expect people to take the SDGs or climate change seriously? Here’s an interesting question: was a national debate considered as part of the process of developing the SDGs? For big issues like these, I would argue that politicians should have engaged in a national conversation first before they met with other world leaders to agree on the SDGs.

Please note that I am not saying that the SDGs are not working, but rather that politicians need to do better. They should lead by example and should also attempt to involve every citizen in a discussion if they want them to jump on board with the process of change.

Needless to say, the SDGs are not the only efforts being made to tackle the effects of climate change. Another is the Paris agreement. The Paris agreement’s sole purpose is to deal with climate change in isolation to other issues.

According to United Nations, Climate Change secretariat (UFCCC) “[This agreement’s] aim is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.”

The17 SDGs, in contrast, consist of a variety of goals directed to resolve social and environmental issues. And maybe that’s where the problem is – can you expect people to adopt 17 goals? Isn’t that too much? And doesn’t that create a lot of confusion as to what they exactly mean? Yeah, yeah… I know that doesn’t make me less of an idealist; individuals, institutions, and organizations can choose which SDG to focus on.

But my argument is that there are some nuances that need to be closely observed, such as, how would we know if a person who focuses on eradicating hunger through mass production does not also undermine efforts made by those adopting SGD 13 – Climate Action?

Are we saying that good is good, and there is no flip side? There is another alternative: to comply with all of them, but of course, that would require an extensive amount of resources, hence the emphasis on collaborations. 

Why does this matter and why the comparison? This matter because radical change has become a necessity, but what change has been achieved since the development of the SDGs? The WMO report The Global Climate in 2015-2019 states that the global average temperature has increased by 1.1°C since the pre-industrial period, and by 0.2°C compared to 2011-2015.

The report looks at the increasing influence of climate change, how humans have responded so far, and the projected changes in the global climate in the future. Well, after reading the report, there is no reassuring news. It focuses on emphasizing the urgency and the “potential” desired success of decreasing the ever likely irreversible negative impacts. Yeah, enough already!

The last thing we need is another framework that will take a further five years to adopt. We do not have that luxury. We need action now because climate change catastrophic will not wait for us to adapt to the logic of the SDGs or the Paris Agreement.

Climate change has become a problem that has been ignored for long; we should all see that the planet is not happy with us because we are not treating it right.  Some of us are not even paying attention to the horrible effects of climate change that we are currently facing.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be like this. We can tackle this problem, if we act now. Because while some of the effects of climate change - temperatures increasing, sea levels rising, wetter winters, more violent weather – will continue for the next 30-40 years no matter what we do now, we can affect what happens after that.

We can all do simple things to save the planet like taking part in recycling campaigns, using public transportation, turning off our electronics when we’re not using them, and eating less meat. It is time that we all start doing our part, so our planet can prosper. Let your voice be heard and make clear to those who lead that we cannot waste this opportunity. We must all be the solution. #ClimateAction #SDGs #SDG13 #Sustainability #UrgentActions

Kaburu Anthony: Why we need to build sustainable cities

Kaburu Anthony: Why we need to build sustainable cities: Today’s cities are finding it hard to be both livable and economically strong. Not one has truly balanced people, profit, and the planet, ev...

Kaburu Anthony: Why we need to build sustainable cities

Kaburu Anthony: Why we need to build sustainable cities: Today’s cities are finding it hard to be both livable and economically strong. Not one has truly balanced people, profit, and the planet, ev...

Why we need to build sustainable cities

Today’s cities are finding it hard to be both livable and economically strong. Not one has truly balanced people, profit, and the planet, every so often; I find it important to reset and to re-envision what a successful future looks like.

Sustainable Cities generally refers to achieving a balance among the environmental, economic, and social pillars of sustainability. Communities are the smaller pockets of cities, therefore creating sustainable communities can lead to sustainable, thriving cities.

This article seeks to take a step back and revisit the fundamentals of what the building of a sustainable city requires. The footprint of cities is a heavy contributor to the un-sustainability of life on the planet; each city takes much more than its total land area to support the population that lives, works, and plays there.

It’s a mind boggling fact that over half of the world’s population lives in urban areas, and this number will increase to about two thirds of the world’s population by 2050. That means that today, 3.9 billion people are living in cities, and that number will continue to rise exponentially.

Tokyo, Japan is today’s most populous city, with 38 million dwellers; followed by Delhi, India with a population of 25 million people and expected to grow to 36 million by 2030. In the U.S., 81% of the populations of 320 million live in urban areas or suburbs.

The Ideal City

For most people, the impetus to work for a more sustainable city stems from the desire to live in a more beautiful and live-able city for themselves and their children, or from the worry that the next natural disaster will wipe current infrastructure and systems.

The ideal city would be cleaner, quieter, safer, more accessible, and healthier. Cleaner cities would have less trash and less pollution than current systems allow for. Quieter cities would have less noise from cars and a more organized sense of the urban chaos that city dwellers love. Safer cities would be well lit, well patrolled, and have a strong sense of community.

Well accessible and sustainable cities would make public transportation the cheapest and easiest option for travel, negating the need for cars and the congestion and pollution they bring. Bike access and priority is also a cornerstone of the ideal sustainable city. Finally, the ideal city makes health and sanitation systems a priority, and would do so by making health care easily accessible, as well as fresh food, access to recreation, and top-notch sewer and waste services.

 

The View from Main Street

Although many of us may have a vision for the city that we want to live in, I think it’s safe to say that few of us feel as empowered as we’d like to in the process of change-making. This stems from a root system of problems, not from one single source that we would be able to identify and target with a panacea.

Although many city residents may think that our cities are moving slowly into the future, and are lagging behind the private sector in terms of innovation and embracing technology, it’s important to keep in mind the challenges and barriers that cities must take into account when planning for change.

When cities implement new programs, they’re putting taxpayer money at stake, and thus are less incentivized to take risks that may lead to innovation or breakthrough in old systems. City governments have a wide array of stakeholders to consider, and many stakeholder groups have different needs and wants from city services.

Even so, considering the hurdles, there are a distinct set of barriers to implementing sustainable practices, systems, and economies that most cities are facing.

The broad and short list includes the following:

·         city budgeting is often focused on the short-term, while planning for sustainability requires long term thinking

·         city zoning laws and other regulations do not allow for sustainable development or necessary urban infill

·         citizens are disengaged in civic processes and from their neighborhoods

·         there is not adequate demand for sustainable business practices, products, or services to create a thriving green economy

·         city departments are siloed in the planning process (so that housing does not communicate with transportation on major projects)

Where’s the Fast Lane to Change?

As impassioned citizens, we tend to argue the case for the one project or the plan that addresses what we see that we need to build a sustainable city, but the reality is that we need to push from many different angles at once. The most basic premise for change starts at the roots of a city, with its people’s will for change, and in conversation.

The level on top of this grassroots communication requires that citizens have access to the channels that feed their information to city officials who can continue the conversation at the city and policy level. The disconnect happens between these two tiers, creating blind spots in both policy making and citizen conversations, and rendering outreach efforts by city governments fruitless, for lack of clear channels of engagement between the two groups.

A handful of new apps are popping up to fill this gap in communication, and will hopefully encourage civic engagement in this digital age. The worry is that all city dwellers are not on the same wave of technology, and so whole demographic groups and even neighborhoods are left out of these technology-based conversations.

Assuming that we’re on track (and we are) for creating positive and inclusive sustainable change in our cities, and recognizing that dialogue between city governments and city dwellers is a key factor in the equation; what are the overarching stretch goals that these conversations should be considering?

To keep it purely scientific, with the goal of decarbonizing city economies and cities by 2050 (which is what we need to do globally to avoid major consequences of climate change), we need to do the following:

·         Create land-use legislation that will smartly raise density, and will increase access to amenities, shopping, and employment within cities

·         Make urban areas more self-reliant for food, power, and water

·         Create multiple options for recycling, reuse, and remanufacturing of materials, along with skilled people for those activities

·         Make urban areas accessible by car-free mobility; invest in viable alternatives for walking, biking, and public transportation

These necessary changes don’t sound easy, and there’s clearly no single answer to the question of what we need to build sustainable cities (and soon). What is clear, however, is that cities are reliant upon their most plentiful resource: their citizens, to be key drivers and engaged ambassadors of the change process. Systems-change is necessarily iterative and collaborative, and human systems are no exception; we’re all in this together.

For any of these challenges to be addressed – and potentially overcome – it is vital that cities take a leadership role to ensure that the needs of their stakeholders are fulfilled. New and engaged partnerships must be formed, including direct interaction with industry, and communication in the digital age should provide a platform for increased levels of co-operation and education on a much wider scale.

Along with leadership must come accountability, especially if civic leaders are to engage with their communities to find and enact mutually-beneficial solutions to their growing challenges and problems. Leaders will need to address a myriad of sensitive social issues – social cohesion, poverty, aging populations, the obesity and mental health crises, immigration, multi-culturalism, discrimination, and growing racism and xenophobia – alongside the provision of infrastructure and services.  

Accountability can take many forms and these are all vital if we are to successfully deliver sustainability in our cities. Creating sustainable cities won’t be easy – but with a positive attitude, the right vision and approach, it can be done. We need to start making changes now. We need to create sustainable cities that nurture a resilient way of life.

To achieve the bold vision set forth in SDG 11, representatives of the General Assembly must ensure that their national governments are setting the right policies that empower cities to take control of their own destiny—institutionalizing best practices for urban development that will allow them to reap the multiple benefits of a resilience dividend for years to come—through political turnover and through whatever shock or stress confronts them next.

Achieving SDG 11 will also require countries, donors, local governments, and other stakeholders to make substantial investments in our cities and communities. Baseline estimates of local needs, regularly updated and tailored to different contexts, will help inform these critical decisions and direct resources to address the world’s most pressing urban issues. ‍

Furthermore, making cities safe and sustainable means ensuring access to safe and affordable housing, and upgrading settlements’ conditions, including water and sanitation, energy, infrastructure, investing in public transport, creating green public spaces, and improving urban planning and management to be participatory and inclusive.

Finally, improving the lives of urban dwellers across the world—will not be determined merely by our ability to rally support around the cause of building more sustainable and resilient cities. True success in this space will be determined by how well we plan for, resource, and ultimately implement the projects that will make our cities sustainable, prosperous, and resilient well into the 21st Century. 

The good news is that many of these solutions are already out there waiting to be scaled across the world.  We need to start making these changes now. We need to create sustainable cities that nurture a resilient way of life.

Kaburu Anthony: My take on Uganda’s persistent health problems

Kaburu Anthony: My take on Uganda’s persistent health problems:  Currently Uganda has close to 3000 covid19 cases, and 30 deaths, with more cases expected to rise as days pass on. Unfortunately Uganda doe...

My take on Uganda’s persistent health problems

 Currently Uganda has close to 3000 covid19 cases, and 30 deaths, with more cases expected to rise as days pass on. Unfortunately Uganda does not have the financial and health resources to effectively fight or contain this pandemic, and without adequate resources the lives and livelihoods of millions of Ugandans are left hanging in the balance.

As governments world over were busy soliciting for funds towards their health institutions including free mass #COVID19  testing for all their citizens in the first wake of the pandemic, our government leaders  were not fairly treating the existing health crisis with the urgency it deserved

The government in the beginning of Covid19 preparedness was instead lobbying and using much of its finances to purchase high value vehicles which in real sense have not made any impact on the fight against #COVID19 pandemic. For decades in leadership, it’s not true that our country doesn’t have basic necessity ”vehicles” to run state agencies in all districts or the currently formed cities.

From where I seat, I see hundreds of state officials with heavy duty cars Idling at their offices or homes, some are used as escort cars and some are being used to ferry food stuffs and people more especially during this election period, one wonders why all this resources can’t be put into proper use.

Maybe in simple words, I should talk about Honesty and Leadership next time but I totally blame those who are close to our president, some of this people don’t want to see our country move forward, our president” Yoweri Kaguta Museveni” is a Father Figure and he loves the country dearly.

Anyway, I am not a politician and I don’t subscribe to any political party, I am only passionate about my country but one thing remains clear; solving Uganda’s health problems takes more than statements of good intention like empty promises of free masks, food and financial relief which is often promised on media coverage’s.

Infact, many diseases including #COVID19 can be addressed with minimal resources if they are used strategically. But it’s unfortunate that it takes something like COVID-19 to convince us, hopefully once and for all, that as human beings, we can never be independent of each other, and our health, well-being and prosperity is very much in each other’s hands.

The curse of this coronavirus becomes a blessing for those who would use this opportunity to be courageous. COVID-19 once again shows the importance of our collective thinking and acting, of the importance of paying taxes and a fair tax system, of good governments, of public funding and of science and research.

To my limited and basic understanding of health, there are obviously distinct steps we can use to solve Uganda’s persistent health problems:

·         A third of Uganda’s population comprises persons aged 10-24 years. These youth are growing up in a context marked by pervasive poverty, limited educational opportunities, high HIV/AIDS prevalence, widespread conflict, and weak social controls.

For Uganda to take advantage of the dividends of a growing youthful population, the county must raise its capacity to generate rigorous scientific evidence to inform policies and programs designed to improve the health and wellbeing of her young people.

This means that the government should not only encourage and fund research on young people’s health and development but also actively use evidence generated to inform policies and programs geared towards the youth.

·         To address the rising burden of diseases, improve health systems, and attain better health, the country needs strong public health research capacity. Uganda has a strong population and public health research capacity with unlimited capacity to identify and prioritize its health needs and, hence, is able to develop and implement effective interventions to promote well-being.

·         Ensure healthy lives and promote the well-being for all at all ages is essential to sustainable development. Significant strides have been made in increasing life expectancy and reducing some of the common killers associated with child and maternal mortality.

·         Major progress has been made on increasing access to clean water and sanitation, reducing malaria, tuberculosis, polio and the spread of HIV/AIDS. However, many more efforts are needed to fully eradicate a wide range of diseases and address many different persistent and emerging health issues.

·         The private sector can play a significant role in spearheading innovations across Uganda. In addition to providing capital investment, businesses can share strategic logistics and marketing know-how, source from local distributors and assess the scalability of projects –all key measures in ensuring lasting social and economic value. The private sector can also drive other stakeholders to advocate for sound policies, tailored solutions, improved infrastructure and relevant research.

·         Instilling a culture of innovation is a promising way to propel Ugandans to eradicate diseases and improve health. All health organizations should pioneer solutions customized to the unique context and culture of communities across Uganda.

 

·         More support is needed, particularly from the government to encourage future entrepreneurs to seek to invent new solutions with the potential to create a lasting impact on the health of hard to reach communities. The government can also start by excusing some of our incompetent state officials from duty who are merely opportunists; we needed to do this like yesterday if we are serious about our current health crisis and also unknown future calamities.

Furthermore, health problems in Uganda cannot be considered in isolation, foreign technical and financial assistance is required. To be effective, aid can find ways to help people directly and bypass the government “IF” they are CORRUPT and INCAPABLE.

The emphasis should then be on channeling aid through non-governmental and UN organizations such as #WHO, #UNICEF and #UNFPA with a proven record of effectiveness, and long-standing experience in countries world over.

COVID-19 gives us an opportunity to break away from business as usual, As the crisis worsens, we’re going to see historically marginalized and vulnerable communities, the sudden collapse of our economy will exacerbate the historic lack of protections for housing, healthcare, and basic needs that unequally impact poor people, as we look to provide support in this crisis, and as we look to build back in the future, we must center investments and strategies that address these inequities head on.

However, this will happen only if the voices of the poor, scientists and healthcare professionals are heard. Already hunger and anger is building in major Uganda cities with little or no social safety net to protect the poor from the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Millions of poor Ugandans are also bearing the brunt of a nationwide lockdowns part of efforts to contain the novel coronavirus outbreak yet the choice before them is often to stay home and fail to provide the evening meal for their family, or to brave it out into the city and try and fend for their family. Though some lockdown policies have so far been eased, the combination of widespread poverty and food price spikes due to the epidemic could prove deadly if our government doesn’t act quickly.

I know that improving health systems isn’t easy but strong political leadership, careful monitoring and strong institutions are needed to see successful implementation of health reforms, It is important at this juncture for the government to commit to pull their resources together and partner to ensure that the most basic needs of people, especially the vulnerable, are cared for.

The realization that anyone can be infected with the virus that causes #COVID19 is a reminder of the shared vulnerability of humans. This day of time is a call to all of us to realize that we all depend on each other on this small planet and, whether it is global heating, inequality, or environmental degradation, we shall either swim or sink together.

Once the crisis is over, we will hopefully awaken into a new world, one where we can learn the far-reaching, long-term lessons.  One where we can see the dangers that we should have recognized a long time ago. One where we can understand the implications of these dangers for the future of government policies.

Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic is a turning point that should restore our faith in humanity.  As the possibility of treatments and vaccines develop, plans need to be in place to continuously deliver assistance to the vulnerable communities in Uganda first, not last.

Lastly, if the government wants to bring #HOPE to a country ravaged by poverty and disease; Effective Health Action is urgently required. It can be done. I pray that God continues to Bless and Protect My Country Uganda including our able Leader, His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni

Kaburu Anthony: The Time for Climate Action is Now

Kaburu Anthony: The Time for Climate Action is Now:  Climate change is already harming the mental and physical health of all of us no matter where we are – with wildfires, smoke-laden air, flo...

The Time for Climate Action is Now

 Climate change is already harming the mental and physical health of all of us no matter where we are – with wildfires, smoke-laden air, floods, emergency evacuations, power shortages, food insecurity, insect-borne diseases, hurricanes and heatwaves – that are becoming more frequent and more intense as the temperature rises.

The scientific evidence is already clear and irrefutable — human activity is causing our planet to warm at an alarming rate. International bodies of scientists have warned that we have just over a decade to halve our emissions to avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change on our food supply, national security, global health, extreme weather, and more.

There is simply no time to waste, We need urgent and ambitious action at every level, from heads of state submitting increased national commitments to the Paris Agreement on climate change to private sector leaders addressing climate change at every step of the supply chain, finance heads committing to divest from fossil fuels and green their investments and individual citizens using their unique influence to drive change and make an impact.

Everyone has the ability to do something to address our climate challenge, but we can all still do more. What will you do?

What you can do about climate change:

Get informed. Knowledge is power – learn more about the science behind our climate challenge and the responsibility that all sectors hold in addressing the issue. Add your voice to the issues that are shaping the climate debate as well as emerging, evidence-based data that directly relates to changes in our climate.

Hold yourself accountable. Take a personal inventory of your own personal impact on the planet – remember, if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Consider offsetting carbon emissions by investing in clean and renewable energy projects around the world that support local communities, drive sustainable development, and protect our planet.

Unplug. Can you use energy more efficiently at home? Unplug items when they aren’t in use, by goods with high energy-efficient standards, and consider making the switch to renewable energy. All of these can help to help reduce your personal impact. 

Travel smarter. Transportation is now the largest source of carbon emissions globally. No matter where you live, travel by car or airplane contributes heavily to our shared carbon footprint. Take public transit, biking, or walking when possible – it’s good for your health, your wallet, and the planet

Climate action, one bite at a time. Your food’s carbon footprint, called its foodprint, is the greenhouse gas emissions produced by growing, harvesting, processing, transporting, cooking, and disposing of the food we eat. Research has revealed the tremendous impact that the mass production of meat, dairy, and eggs has on our planet.

Additionally, food waste is an enormous ‘hidden’ contributor to climate change. In fact, if global food waste were a country, it would be the third largest greenhouse gas emitter, behind China and the U.S. The carbon footprint of this wasted food is about 3.3 billion tons of CO2. Luckily, there has never been a better time to join efforts to reduce our carbon footprint through food choices. Enjoy more plant-based meals, reduce your food waste altogether, and compost your food scraps.

Shop smarter. Do you know where your dollar is going? Support companies driven by sustainability and committed to transparency throughout the supply chain. Your power as a consumer can be enormously impactful, so if you’re in the dark or unhappy with a company’s impact on the planet, make your voice known! Shop smarter with thoughtful purchasing to minimize waste, and consider reused and pre-loved items to take part in the circular economy and keep goods out from filling our already overflowing landfills.

Vote Earth. Consider climate issues on local, national and global levels – examine the climate and environmental platforms of your candidates, engage these candidates to understand their ambition, and, ultimately, vote at the ballot box for the candidates with clear, ambitious, and convincing plans to protect our planet.

Organize. One person can make a difference, but together, we can make a movement. Consider the communities that you are a part of, whether its your neighborhood, your school or PTO, your company or organization, your faith institution or yoga group or football team. Collective action can have a major impact – and major influence – for change. Consider how you can gather support by mobilizing a larger group for action!

Invest and divest. If you are lucky enough to have investments or a pension, pledge to separate them from exposure to fossil fuel assets and increase your stake in clean energy companies. Join a movement of millions of individuals from dozens of countries representing trillions in assets who are avoiding the investment risks of climate change and lightening their carbon footprints.

 And it doesn’t stop at your individual portfolio – ask your university, your company, and your organization how they invest their money. Because when it comes to climate change, money talks.

Show your support. Show your support for programs and organizations including community and citywide actions that are fighting climate change, and organizations working on the ground to make a difference.

Finally, because Climate change adds injustice to injustice, adds poverty to poverty, adds insecurity to insecurity, the whole of humanity is affected, especially the most vulnerable populations particularly those who are already most fragile and vulnerable. We always talk about #ClimateEmergency and #ClimateCrisis, but if we cannot confront these issues, we will not survive.

It's not too late to slow the pace of #ClimateChange as long as we act today. We can attack this challenge by reducing our use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, gasoline, diesel and natural gas, we can improve air quality, save lives, reduce chronic diseases, and cut healthcare costs while fighting climate change.

Everyone has the ability to do something to address our climate challenge, but we can all still do more. There is no place better than home and there no other planet that is better than the Earth. Time for #ClimateAction is NOW #SDG13 #Sustainability #UrgentActions #Adaptation #SDGs

Kaburu Anthony: The impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable children

Kaburu Anthony: The impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable children: As schools have closed their doors to most pupils to tackle the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, teachers and charities have expressed th...

The impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable children

As schools have closed their doors to most pupils to tackle the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, teachers and charities have expressed their fears about the plight of vulnerable children from poverty-stricken and chaotic homes.

Several months into the COVID-19 pandemic, I am thankful that the SARS-CoV-2 virus does not have as severe of an effect on children compared to older adults, and we know that most children who contract the virus will survive.

However, even if children are largely spared from direct effects, COVID-19 will still cause profound and long-lasting indirect impacts on children globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where the pandemic is straining already overburdened health systems and social protection infrastructure.

Concerns are mounting that most vulnerable children across the globe are already feeling the impacts of COVID-19 through measures taken to contain the spread of the virus, as economies contract, schools close, and access to essential health services becomes more difficult.

This virus has a way of magnifying existing inequities, and sadly the most vulnerable children and communities are likely to experience profound negative impacts. Worries are also rising about how families struggling financially will cope with providing food for their children without the provision of free school meals – particularly if schools are closed for a prolonged period.

The differential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on society needs to be acknowledged. While some of us are practicing social distancing and exploring work from home options aggressively in the hope of a better tomorrow, there is a possibility that a substantial number of children would emerge as victims of such apparently positive measures.

One impact would be an increase in the number of child workers. Along with the health crisis, and the economic and labour market shock that the pandemic has generated, the vulnerability of millions to child labour is another issue that merits serious attention.

The combined economic forces and school closures are also contributing to worsening food insecurity and malnutrition, with some of our centers already reporting increased numbers of malnourished children.

Hundreds of millions of children globally already live in extremely vulnerable conditions – crowded urban slums, refugee camps, conflict zones, and their challenges are compounded by the COVID-19 crisis.

The United Nations estimates that an additional 42-66 million children could tip into extreme poverty this year, adding to the already 386 million children living in extreme poverty worldwide. COVID-19 could also leave in its wake a new generation of orphans and vulnerable children, mirroring losses and challenges from the global HIV crisis, treatable illnesses such as diarrhea and malaria

Although tremendous strides have been made over the last decades in improving child survival, and the economic downturn combined with interruption in or difficulty accessing essential health services could cause major backtracking on child survival progress.

We therefore have much to learn from resource-limited settings, including important lessons on resilience, resourcefulness, innovation, and community-organizing, and drawing from rich bodies of experience in epidemic control in response to HIV, Ebola, and other infectious diseases.

We must put children’s safety and needs at the forefront of discussions to mitigate the current and future effects of the pandemic. The immense potential costs of increased child maltreatment should be considered in cost-benefit calculations of lockdown measures.

The social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are also being felt in communities across Africa. We know from the evidence and our experience that violence against women and children surges during emergencies. At the same time, the services and systems set up to respond to gender-based violence break down or become harder to access.

COVID-19 is altering family dynamics in ways that threaten to put already vulnerable children at increased risk of abuse and neglect, this could be catastrophic to children’s health and well-being globally, but it doesn’t have to be. Children around the globe are counting on all of us to advocate for them during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

As a global community, we all have the opportunity to be an important voice for vulnerable children worldwide. I also urge governments to work with social and health care providers to integrate children’s welfare in future risk reduction and preparedness #StopCOVID19 #Children #ChildrenSafety #HumanityandInclusion #HumanRights #SharedProsperity #Sustainability #Governance #FutureGenerations #SDG1 #SDGs #Health

Kaburu Anthony: Climate change threats are continuously widening e...

Kaburu Anthony: Climate change threats are continuously widening e...: The global warming that’s changing our climate is already having dire consequences. Whether it’s a shift of 1.5 degrees or 2 degrees, these ...

Climate change threats are continuously widening every minute

The global warming that’s changing our climate is already having dire consequences. Whether it’s a shift of 1.5 degrees or 2 degrees, these warming levels aren’t magic thresholds. Though the current #COVID19 pandemic has come in the backdrop of another evident global crisis, a much slower one with even higher risks – climate change.

 Every rise in warming is worse for the planet than the last.

In just the past few decades:

·         Rising temperatures have worsened extreme weather events.

·         Chunks of ice in the Antarctic have broken apart.

·         Wildfire seasons are months longer.

·         Coral reefs have been bleached of their colors.

·         Mosquitoes are expanding their territory, able to spread disease.

Climate change is real

Say “climate change” and see how most people react. I find it’s a bit like “sustainable development”: a phrase at which many people quietly glaze over and switch off. So here’s the first point: Don’t switch off. Climate change isn’t just words. It is a real Thing. And man-made climate change is a very scary, real and its widening every minute.

The rise in global temperature over the last several decades is a matter of public record. There is an overwhelming scientific consensus that it can only be explained by one thing: the rise in greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activities.

Some people say that climate change is natural and we shouldn’t worry. The answer to that is that we have indeed had naturally-occurring climate change since the Earth was formed. But none of the natural causes of climate variation, from the Sun’s output, the tilt of the Earth, volcanic activity or emissions from rotting vegetation, can account for the warming we observe today.

There is only one thing that can: the emissions from fossil fuels caused by human activities over the last two hundred years. The concentrations of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere have increased by nearly 30% since the beginning of the industrial revolution.

It’s not as bad as you think – it’s worse

Here’s another inconvenient truth. Not only is global warming happening, it may be speeding up. The 20 warmest years on record have all come since 1995. The five warmest years have all been in this decade, the 2010s. 2019 was the hottest year since records began.

The environment suffered badly: numerous species, habitats, birds, trees and aquatic life were affected by the hot conditions and high demand for water. This kind of thing won’t happen every year. But it will happen more frequently, and it will happen worse. Most of us enjoyed this summer’s exceptional weather. But by 2040 it is likely there won’t be anything exceptional about summers like the one we have just had. The records will keep tumbling. Exceptional may be the new normal.

And just as the rate of temperature rise looks to be accelerating, so too does one of its main consequences: the rise in sea level. Over the last 20 years sea levels have risen at roughly twice the speed of the preceding 80 years.

It gets worse. While the international community has pledged to avoid a rise of more than 2°C in the average global temperature by 2100 compared with pre-industrial levels, many scientists think that the figure will be higher. The central scientific estimate now is that by 2100 global temperature will have risen by nearly twice the 2 degree figure - by around 3.5 °C.

Climate change has bad consequences

A big point that bears constant repetition: if we don’t tackle climate change, very bad things will happen.

“Global warming” is another of those deceptive phrases. It doesn’t sound that threatening. But who wouldn’t want a bit more sun and the weather a few degrees warmer? But the phrase is misleading because it doesn’t identify what will actually happen as the globe warms. The answer is that:

·         The tropics will be hotter and drier.

·         Sea levels will rise significantly, perhaps by up to a metre in places by 2100, as waters warm and take up more space and our glaciers and land-based ice sheets melt. Sea level rise is particularly scary, because while other climate change-driven effects like extreme flooding or drought can do terrible harm, recovery from them is possible. But there is no recovery from a rising sea: it takes land, communities, infrastructure and everything else away forever.

·         More frequent and more extreme flooding and coastal erosion, caused by those wetter winters, heavier rain, stronger storms and rising sea levels. That threatens all of us, because floods destroy: lives, livelihoods, communities.

All of these changes in climate will have consequences. They will mean:

·         More water shortages and higher drought risk, caused by the hotter drier summers and less predictable rainfall. That could do deep damage to our economy and our environment.

·         More frequent and more extreme fires and wildfires often with terrible human cost.

·         More air and water pollution, due to those longer, hotter summers. That will threaten the living world of plants and animals, our wider environment and our own health.

·         More damage to wildlife and the habitat on which it depends. In many cases that damage may be existential. If we continue to emit greenhouse gases at the same rate as today, then by 2050 one million species across the globe are likely to vanish.

So don’t get comfortable. If we allow climate change to continue unchecked, the earth’s green and pleasant land will be neither green nor pleasant. And if sea levels rise significantly, there won’t be much of our land left either.

As sea levels rise and the storms get fiercer, how much higher can we build the walls around our coasts? There’s a limit to what’s practical and affordable. And even if we build ever higher and stronger defences along the coastline, there’s another problem: our rivers.

Climate change means more rain is likely to fall more quickly into our rivers. So they will fill up quicker, and will flood the surrounding land unless they can rapidly discharge all that rainwater into the sea. But the higher tides and sea levels which climate change will also bring mean that precisely when we need our rivers to be better at discharging water to the sea, they will be less and less able to do so, because they will be increasingly tide-locked.

So we could have three nightmare future scenarios: one where high seas overwhelm our sea defences, a second where the rivers flood the land behind the defences, and a third – the worst of all – where both of these things happen together.

The result, if we fail to address these future risks, will be that many low lying parts of the country will be either permanently waterlogged, or flooded with such frequency as to be no longer habitable.

Am I exaggerating? No. It is the biggest threat out there to our economy, environment, health, way of life, our country, our world, and our future. That is why climate change is simply the biggest issue currently

But disaster is not inevitable: we can tackle this problem

That’s enough bad news. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be like this. We can tackle this problem, if we act now. Because while some of the effects of climate change - temperatures increasing, sea levels rising, wetter winters, more violent weather – will continue for the next 30-40 years no matter what we do now, we can affect what happens after that.

We know what we need to do. It’s summed up by another two words that tend to make people switch off but which also really matter: mitigation and adaptation. Mitigation means addressing the causes of climate change, by reducing or stopping the human activities which are affecting the climate system, for example by cutting our emissions of greenhouse gases.

Most of the global emissions come from the way we produce and consume energy – from heating our buildings, driving our cars, manufacturing goods, watching our TVs or boiling our kettles. We can lower our emissions by becoming more energy efficient and switching to renewable or low-carbon fuels.

As countries have made a good start, global emissions are down 43% compared to 1990, while over the same period the economy has grown significantly. That’s really important: it shows that we can both tackle climate change and grow our economy.

But most of these emission reductions have come from closing coal power stations and cleaning up heavy industry. That was the easy bit. It’s a lot harder to reduce emissions from transport, agriculture and buildings. That will require much greater use of renewable energy, and infrastructure to capture and store remaining carbon emissions. The quicker we can move ahead on all that the better.

Adaptation means making changes to prepare for, reduce and negate the effects of climate change, for example by building stronger sea defences to reduce the vulnerability of coastal communities. Other things we can and should be doing now include reducing water usage by cutting leakage and extending domestic metering; avoiding any unnecessary development in flood plains or on fast-eroding coastlines; and designing infrastructure that will be resilient to the more extreme weather we know is coming. There’s more good news. There is now a pretty broad consensus – at least in most countries - on the need to do these things. The government gets it.

While it will cost a lot of money to respond successfully to climate change, we can afford it. Indeed, it’s the best investment we could possibly make. It would be much more expensive not to respond. And the economic benefits of mitigating and adapting to climate change – in terms of damage foregone, extra growth achieved through new investment and infrastructure, prosperity boosted through innovative technology - far outweigh the costs.

Conclusion

The scandal is not that climate change is made up. The scandal is that it’s not, and that while a lot is already being done to tackle it, we are still not doing all we could. Why is tackling changing climate not at the top of everyone’s agenda? Partly, no doubt, because most people have busy lives and other things to worry about. Partly because the effects of a changing climate tend to be invisible and incremental until they are suddenly catastrophic. And maybe too because of the words we use. Language matters.

So here’s a final thought: if words like “climate change” and “global warming” have become a turn-off for most ordinary people, maybe we should change the words. Perhaps we should talk instead about what those things actually mean: killer weather, a world under water, and a mortgaged future.

Many people might not get out of bed to fight something that sounds vaguely technical and non-threatening called climate change. But pretty much all of us would do so to protect our loved ones, our homes and our livelihoods, and to build a better world.

Finally: climate change threats are widening every minute. So let’s tell it like it is, let’s tackle it together, and let’s redouble our efforts. Over the last two hundred years humans have comprehensively demonstrated that they can change the climate – and we have changed it for the worse by doing the wrong things.

Global citizens must call on their governments for urgent action on Climate Change while we still have the chance to turn things around for our planet. I think many of us have been shaken to the core by the scientific predictions of the irreversible changes to our whole world and society as we know it, if urgent action isn’t taken.

What happens next is up to us all. I truly believe that together we can bring about the transformative change that is needed. Sometimes it is better to protect ourselves by thinking of ways to make humanity more resilient to disasters that are to come.

Now let’s show we can change it for the better by doing the right things. It's not too late to slow the pace of climate change as long as we act today. Together, we can all attack this challenge and ensure that 2020 - and beyond - are safe years for humanity.