WWF climate work in Africa
WWF is building a focussed climate and energy programme in Africa. Currently, we have a small number of projects on resistance and resilience building in Eastern Africa. One is investigating resistance and resilience of mangroves (part of a larger GEF project), another is part of our Climate Witness Programme.
Several other African ecoregions are investigating possible strategies to fend off the first climate change impacts. A number of African governments have shown interest in working with WWF to address issues such as deforestation and carbon emissions.
East African Climate Witnesses
Climate Change is hitting Eastern Africa already today.
Scientific information can sketch what the future may look like.
But one needs to ask real people to know what changes they see already today.
Based on WWF’s Climate Witness methodology, we have been interviewing people in Kenya and Tanzania about the changes they see in their local environment.
Three Witnesses came to the UN Conference on Climate Change in Nairobi to report about how they see their environment changing: a woman farmer, a traditional doctor, and a former fisherman.
People in many rural areas of Kenya and Tanzania already experience changes as a result of local activities. Clearing forests, changing farming practices, and increasing demands on water resources all mean destabilising the natural environment.
Climate change is the big threat that comes on top of these developments. Kenya and Tanzania have little direct influence on emissions that come from richer countries. Those richer countries have a double responsibility: to help the least developed ones to fend off climate impacts – and to take the lead in developing the clean soultions and keeping climate change from spinning out of control.
Several other African ecoregions are investigating possible strategies to fend off the first climate change impacts. A number of African governments have shown interest in working with WWF to address issues such as deforestation and carbon emissions.
East African Climate Witnesses
Climate Change is hitting Eastern Africa already today.
Scientific information can sketch what the future may look like.
But one needs to ask real people to know what changes they see already today.
Based on WWF’s Climate Witness methodology, we have been interviewing people in Kenya and Tanzania about the changes they see in their local environment.
Three Witnesses came to the UN Conference on Climate Change in Nairobi to report about how they see their environment changing: a woman farmer, a traditional doctor, and a former fisherman.
People in many rural areas of Kenya and Tanzania already experience changes as a result of local activities. Clearing forests, changing farming practices, and increasing demands on water resources all mean destabilising the natural environment.
Climate change is the big threat that comes on top of these developments. Kenya and Tanzania have little direct influence on emissions that come from richer countries. Those richer countries have a double responsibility: to help the least developed ones to fend off climate impacts – and to take the lead in developing the clean soultions and keeping climate change from spinning out of control.
Africa’s mangrove forests where these Scarlet ibises (Eudocimus ruber) live are under threat from climate change
© WWF-Canon / Roger LeGUEN
© WWF-Canon / Roger LeGUEN
Climate Witnesses in Africa
Ms Nelly Damaris Chepkoskei, Kenya, at the Climate Witness event, UN Climate Change Conference in Nairobi, 16 Nov 2006
© WWF International
© WWF International
