Senior African policymakers challenged to prioritize climate change in development plans

African policymakers have been urged to prioritize the impact of climate change when developing economic development plans.

Hon. Peter Munya, Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Cooperatives, made the announcement at the 24th Annual African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) Senior Policy Seminar.

Speaking on behalf of Hon Munya, Kenya's Chief Administrative Secretary (Assistant Minister) Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries, Mr. Lawrence Omuhaka, said that climate change has created a domino effect, and that in order to power Africa's economic growth and avoid the worst consequences of climate change, researchers must outline a proactive stance for African policymakers on climate change management.

"Climate change represents a major threat to Africa achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. It is important to keep in mind that nearly all the impacts of climate change are exacerbated by inappropriate policy choices," Hon Munya said.

"Our very survival is linked to climate change as our food security rests on agricultural systems that still rely largely on low inputs, traditional tools, and the promise of rain – and are subject to the vagaries of drought and flooding."

Hon. Mthuli Ncube, Zimbabwe's Minister of Finance and Economic Development, expressed similar sentiments.

"Climate change has a growing impact on the continent, hitting the most vulnerable hardest, and contributing to food insecurity, low crop yields and production, droughts and erratic weather patterns. There's a need for the continent to commit to enhancing climate action and building resilience," Hon. Ncube said.

The forum, titled "Climate Change and Economic Development in Africa," focused on policy proposals that can be implemented to shape Africa's response to climate change.

"Climate change has adverse implications for Africa's development, from health systems to agriculture, ecosystems, water resources, energy resources and physical infrastructure and threatens the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thus, there is a need for African governments to scale up the availability, access, and affordability of digital agricultural technologies, which are the key drivers of climate-smart agriculture interventions. And for Africa to become a major player, it needs to urgently address the issues of lack of capacity and poor institutions," AERC Executive Director Prof. Njuguna Ndung'u said.

Africa is facing exponential collateral damage, posing systemic threats to its economies, infrastructure investments, water and food systems, public health, agriculture, and livelihoods, threatening to reverse its modest development gains and plunge deeper into extreme poverty.

"Climate risk can be turned into an opportunity by leveraging climate-smart agriculture (CSA) innovations. Africa needs to urgently address the issues of lack of capacity and poor institutions," said Prof. Asafu-Adjaye of the African Center for Economic Transformation & School of Economics at the University of Queensland, Australia.

On her part, Dr. Adelaide Retselisitsoe Matlanyane, Former Governor, Central Bank of Lesotho said: "Despite having contributed the least to global warming and having the lowest emissions, Africa will bear the brunt of climate change."

This year's seminar will help policymakers and other actors better understand the impact of climate change on economic development, with a particular emphasis on policies that will build and strengthen the resilience of Sub-Saharan African economies to ensure long-term growth and development.

The overarching goal of this year's seminar is to improve Africa's readiness to confront climate and environmental shocks and capitalize on the opportunities they present through climate-smart economic policies.

To improve climate change mitigation and adaptation, African governments must make major structural investments and policy decisions that will influence the rate, structure, and character of economic growth and development in the long term. This is especially true given the path-dependence and lock-in nature of the majority of infrastructure investments.

The AERC Senior Policy Seminar is an annual forum that brings together high-level African policymakers to learn about the findings of AERC research, exchange policy experiences, and interact with AERC researchers in a peer-to-peer setting.

However, above all, adopt policy proposals that enhance economic management choices and designs applicable in their respective countries.