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African Development Bank President says the continent is “ground zero” of the crisis as major economies boost Climate targets
Adesina also highlighted the African Development Bank’s role as a climate change warrior. Bank had committed $25 billion to climate finance over the next four years. Its share of financing devoted to climate rose from 9% in 2016 to 35% in 2019 and will reach 40% in 2021. In addition, the African Development Bank recently joined forces with the Global Center on Adaptation to launch the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program, which aims to mobilize $25 billion for climate adaptation by 2025. Supporters of the initiative include UN Secretary-General António Guterres and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. Reliefweb.int.
Has Covid-19 affected Africa's climate targets?
African leaders attended a global virtual meeting brokered by the US to discuss climate change. But with anti-COVID efforts eroding countries' finances, is there an appetite for radical changes in economic policy? BBC
Banana wars: Is Africa losing the battle against South America?
The pan-African association Afruibana is sounding the alarm as South American bananas become increasingly popular on the European market, severely impacting producers in Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon and Ghana. Africa report
AU Pledges to Increase Share of Africa’s Vaccine Manufacturing
For decades, Africa has imported 99% of its vaccines. Now, the continent’s leaders want to bring manufacturing home. Last week, heads of state attending a meeting co-organized by Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the African Union pledged to increase the share of vaccines manufactured in Africa from 1% to 60% by 2040. This includes building factories and bolstering capacity in research and development. Nature
A new US-led Malaria initiative has African Scientists calling for the “decolonization” of donor funding
A recently published letter by a group of prominent African scientists and health practitioners to international funders has reignited a conversation over the funding models used by western governments and global health institutions for the continent.Quartz.
Climate change will not be fixed without Africa
Africa is responsible for only 4 percent of global carbon emissions. Of the seven countries in the world that emit two-thirds of total greenhouse gas emissions, none are African, according to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. Meanwhile, Africa faces droughts, floods, declining agricultural productivity, deforestation, difficult access to water, rising seas, advancing deserts, and a rural exodus. Atlanticcouncil.org.
Unlocking the Power of Data for Wildlife Conservation
In Zambia’s North Luangwa National Park, rangers study the map on their screen to see if there are any places they haven’t checked. They’re searching for six-year-old “teen” Chilunda, a critically endangered black rhino, missing for five months in the park’s rhino sanctuary.Vulcan.com.
South African Activist awarded global human rights prize
Sibusiso Innocent Zikode has been awarded a prestigious global prize for his work promoting human rights for residents of informal settlements. He co-founded the Abahlali baseMjondolo movement 15 years ago and has now received the Per Anger Prize, the Swedish Government’s international prize for human rights and democracy. BBC
African Collectors are driving global sales of contemporary African art
Sotheby’s recently concluded its bi-annual Modern & Contemporary African Art auction, exceeding the lower end of its pre-sale estimate by over 40% to net £2.7 million ($3.7 million). Participants hailed from 34 countries, with over a third of buyers transacting with Sotheby’s for the first time, making the auction houses’ third online-only auction of contemporary African art a major success.Quartz Africa .
UK supports East African leadership in tackling climate change
East African countries are coming forward with ambitious plans for tackling climate change and the UK their efforts through funding and technical assistance, such as the £24.5 million commitment, which helped establish the Rwanda Green Fund (FONERWA). Theeastafrican.co.ke
Burkina Faso is at the forefront of micro-irrigation
Ouagadougou has launched a vast programme to promote micro-irrigation, with some 2,000ha already developed with this cultivation technique, thanks to 1,500 water tanks. Burkina Faso has gone from 20 pilot farms in 2019 to implementing this method in nearly 500 farms. Theafricareport.com
No Monkey Business: For Zanzibar’s 6,000 Red Colobus, speed bumps are lifesavers
With fewer than 6,000 of Zanzibar’s iconic red colobus monkey (Piliocolobus kirkii) left in the world, there’s much about their well-being that worries scientists. Near the top of that list: their road sense. Or the lack of it, as evidenced by videos captured by primatologists showing them sauntering across a road amid heavy traffic, scurrying. Mongabay.com.
Tapping regional integration to bolster resilience in the Horn of Africa
Finance Ministers of theHorn of Africa Initiative met virtually on March 31, 2021 to further the gains realized in strengthening regional integration in order to bolster resilience in the Horn of Africa. World Bank
Who is winning World Bank contracts? A breakdown of trends from 2017-2020.
Our latest analysis of the regions, sectors, and organizations funded through World Bank contracts finds that transportation, water and sanitation, and energy still top the list. Devex
Women poorly represented in COVID-19 Task Force across Africa
The representation of women in Asia and Africa were much lower than the global average. Only 15 per cent members of the 75 task forces in Asia and 19 per cent members of the 69 task forces in Africa were women. Down to earth
Total’s East African oil pipeline to go ahead despite stiff opposition
Developed by French oil major Total and Chinese state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation, the project has faced staunch opposition from environmentalists who point out that it cuts through some of East Africa’s most biodiversity-rich areas. Mongabay.
Africa's largest clinical trial for early-stage COVID-19 drugs launches
Researchers are recruiting participants for Africa’s largest clinical trial for treatments for early-stage COVID-19. The trial will examine a drug combination aimed at treating patients with mild-to-moderate cases, hoping to prevent their progression into critical cases.Devex
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