COP26 Climate Summit Critical As World Leaders Seek To Address Climate Change Concerns

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 29 – The world’s nations will on October 31, 2021, be converging in Scotland to discuss an issue that is slowly eating up the earth: climate change, as part of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference. 

Ahead of the meeting, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development IGAD, whose region is facing extreme weather patterns due to changes in climate is beginning the process of early detection in order to best advise countries in the Horn of Africa on what to do to avert a major humanitarian crisis.

Over the last decade, the Horn of Africa has experienced some of the highest temperatures yet, with the skies remaining bare in many parts of the region, much to the detriment of man and animals alike. 

When the skies do open up, sometimes the downpour is destructive with flooding leading to landslides which have the same undesired outcome; diseases and deaths. 

In the search for a solution, humanity is advised not to point fingers but see how they can help.

“What’s most regrettable in this climate change discourse is shifting blame to whoever is considered to be the most responsible for degrading the planet and also competing to who has been most affected,” said Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, Executive Secretary, IGAD.

While the globe continues to discuss the future of mother earth, and how best to protect her environment, the sub-region through the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is now taking matters into its own hands to keep tabs on changing patterns using technology.

The technology helps collect data which helps prevent among other things, human conflict over natural resources.

“Big data is very important for prediction. It helps us understand the rectitude of our weather. We are able to plot and plan, work together to fight the challenges of climate change, food insecurity, and insecurity brought about by the movement of people in resource conflicts,” Raychelle Omamo, CS Foreign Affairs.

The IGAD Climate Prediction & Applications Centre(ICPAC) has been accredited by the World Meteorological Organization that provides climate services to 11 East African nations. 

IGAD hopes that taking the weather seriously will be creating resilience in a region deeply affected by climate change and extreme weather patterns.

Recently, President Uhuru Kenyatta expressed concern over high gas emissions on the global front, saying Africa is the one paying for the consequences.

Kenya has pledged to do better in enabling cleaner energy use.

“We have made considerable progress in renewable energy. and we are scaling up low carbon emission systems, climate-smart agriculture but also working with our brothers in the horn to help them develop their renewable energy capacity,” President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya said.

The center is expected to help vulnerable communities to adapt to the current phenomenon. 

Increasing temperatures and recurrent droughts have been a huge contributor to severe crop and livestock losses leading to famine, displacement, and other threats to human health and comfort.