That big continent in the South

What we know and can't ignore about Africa

I don’t know about you, but I rarely see big headlines about Africa when it comes to climate change.

The US, Europe, and now Asia are keeping their spotlight on the climate stage due to their status as economic and trade powerhouses.

Still, Africa is the second world’s biggest continent and is home to >1 billion people.

Why should we ignore it in the climate discourse?

Should we ignore it?

Short answer: no, we shouldn’t.

The “I know it all” friend’s answer: you can find it in today’s story 👇

Problems you can’t ignore

If Africa is so important, why do we keep ignoring it? Part of the answer could be that it is where things we don’t want to see are already happening. The escalating effects of climate change are creating a huge number of refugees displaced by environmental disasters, conflicts, and resource shortages. According to humanitarian aid sources, more than 44 million people in Africa have lost their livelihoods, with a significant portion displaced due to climate-related disasters. Climate-driven mass displacements are creating negative feedback loops. Refugee camps are stressing the lack of basic resources such as food and water even more in countries such as Uganda, Kenya, and Ethiopia.

What we fear will happen more frequently in the apparent safe cushion of the developed (i.e., prolonged droughts, erratic rainfalls, and progressive land desertification) is a reality that Africa is already dealing with, and we can’t ignore.

Charting a new path

Finding solutions to wicked problems is rocket science. Africa’s big problem is understanding how its population can adapt to extreme climate conditions and what climate solutions are the most effective in its context.

The projects launched on the ground are tackling areas such as:

Permaculture and farming: have you heard about climate-proof cows?
Infrastructure resilience: resilience and adaptation investments (e.g., The Africa Infrastructure Resilience Accelerator) across water, transport, and energy sectors
Empowerment and education: mobilizing the youth workforce towards green skills to close knowledge and labor gaps
Water solutions: deployment of alternative water supply systems (e.g., solar pump systems) to mitigate water scarcity where rainfalls don’t come

Here is a chart to better visualize where funds are moving 👇️

Source: Quantifying international public finance for climate change adaptation in Africa

Technology and diplomacy

The good news is that the climate tech ecosystem is growing in Africa as well.

Solutions are emerging through international partnerships focusing on:

Funding and investment: initiatives like the US$500M Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa are unlocking billions in private capital for off-grid energy and transport.
Tech transfer: technologies like AI-powered climate monitoring and satellite-based early warning systems are being developed in cooperation with the European Union to equip local communities with tools to adapt to climate conditions.
Climate innovation: research projects are advancing on hydrogen, smart grids, and climate-resilient agriculture.