African nations seek funds as cost of climate change rises
From drought to cyclones and sea level rise, the cost of damage caused by climate change in Africa will only get higher as the world warms, stirring concerns from activists and officials about how to pay for it
MOMBASA, Kenya (AP) — From drought to cyclones and sea level rise, the cost of damage caused by climate change in Africa will only get higher as the world warms, sparking concerns from activists and officials about how to pay for it.
Africa's islands and coastal states — and the 116 million people that inhabit them — will be heavily exposed to rising seas and will spend about $50 billion in damages by 2050, a report released Thursday by the United Nations' World Meteorological Organization said.
It added that drought over the last 50 years in the Horn and southern Africa, exacerbated by climate change, has claimed the lives of over half a million people, with losses estimated at $70 billion. Over 1,000 floods in the same time period claimed over 20,000 lives, it said.
The report's findings stirred renewed calls for compensation for the continent by many who believe rich nations that emit far more planet-warming gases into the atmosphere should foot the bill for climate catastrophes, known as “loss and damage” in climate negotiations.
