This archive report was first published on 4 June 2020.
As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change experts are sounding the alarm that African countries risk losing track of the war on global warming.
According to Dr. Mithika Mwenda, Executive Director of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, climate change is an equally catastrophic threat to human life, and the government should not ignore it.
“The Covid-19 outbreak is an abrupt threat, but climate change remains a worse danger that should remain a top priority for the government,” Dr. Mwenda said on Thursday.
On the eve of World Environment Day, Dr. Mwenda urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to ensure the post-COVID-19 economic recovery strategy is aligned to the Paris Climate Agreement.
“The truth is, the Covid-19 pandemic did not even pause the climate crisis. Our people continue to be killed and others displaced,” Dr. Mwenda said.
He warned that the disruptions brought about by the virus, including restrictions on movement, could see vulnerable communities engage in activities like charcoal burning, which adversely degrade their environment.
Dr. Mwenda said this year’s celebrations, whose theme is appreciating biodiversity, should be a wake-up call to governments to ensure proper dissemination of the Green Climate Fund to help communities living near natural resources to conserve rather than destroy them.
