Africa is turning to nature-based solutions (NbS) as a key strategy to combating climate change impacts on the continent. The Director of Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy Harsen Nyambe says the second Africa Climate Summit to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in September 8th to 10th 2025 is viewing nature-based solutions as most appropriate for Africa.
Noting that the first Africa Climate Summit considered such matters as reforming the global financial architecture, calling for more funding to Africa as well as the critical green minerals, but this time “The focus will be on nature-based solutions,” he said and added, “as a continent we feel that we have a lot to offer especially in bio-economy and we will also have the opportunity to showcase the best practices and initiatives on the continent in the use of nature base solutions to tackling climate change.”
He called for the need to invest in nature in order to continue to enjoy the goods and services that the ecosystems provide, “there is a strong element of finance to make sure that nature-based solutions are sustainable,” he added.
Nyambe noted that such solutions as protecting, managing, and restoring natural ecosystems, can offer benefits that can result into resilience to climate hazards, improved community livelihoods, and enhanced biodiversity.
Nature-based solutions to climate change involve utilizing natural ecosystems to mitigate and adapt to the effects of a climate change, that include: protecting and restoring natural habitats like forests, wetlands, and coastal ecosystems, as well as implementing sustainable land management practices.
Nature-based solutions offer benefits that include: carbon sequestration, disaster risk reduction, and improved human well-being through the improvement of air and water quality, reduction in the risk of natural disasters, and enhancement of recreational opportunities.
He said that while it has been a challenge to make a case for Africa’s need for funding to deal with the impacts of climate change, the continent will continue pushing, “the best is not to give up but continue standing our ground to demonstrate the impact of climate change and justify why funding is needed, because Africa has a strong case as far as climate change is concerned,” said Nyambe.
Fifteen African Union member states have been able to access climate finance from the Green Climate Fund following the intervention by the Africa Union Commission, the Director for Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy says that this has been possible after a program was approved by the Fund. “We have been busy training member states on how they can develop project proposals to be able to access climate financing,” said Nyambe adding that countries are also set to be trained on accessing carbon markets.
In an interview at the conclusion of the joint Intra-ACP Climate Services and Related Applications (ClimSA) and the Space for Early Warning in Africa (SEWA) forum held in Windhoek, Namibia, Nyambe disclosed that the African Union Commission has come up with a Multi-hazard Early Warning program that has seen the establishment of a situation-room at the AU headquarters as well as at the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) level as well as to the national level of members states in order to improve co-ordination. This is due to budgetary constraints among member states, “most governments in Africa have climate change frameworks, policies on disasters, but the challenge normally comes when it comes to implementation due to budgetary constraints, lack of sufficient experts, or vehicles to respond to the disaster, constraints in communication,” he said.
Nyambe is calling for inclusion of disaster risk reduction in the schools curriculum, as part of awareness creation, “so that people can know about how to deal with disasters, if there is an earthquake they would know where to run to,” he said and added, “what is lacking is effective awareness campaigns.”
