Following the announcement of the ‘Nairobi Declaration’ at the Africa Climate Summit in Kenya, Alvin Munyasia, Regional Advocacy and Communications Specialist at Action Against Hunger Kenya, said:
“Climate emergencies like droughts and cyclones have long affected Africa, but the situation has reached an unprecedented scale. In the Horn of Africa alone, 40 million have been severely impacted by drought. When farmers have no land to grow their crops, food prices exponentially rise and communities’ doors open to famine but close to nutritious and plentiful supplies of food and livelihoods.
“We know that in the face of this crisis, we need more than immediate humanitarian aid to the increasing humanitarian needs. We need innovative solutions to tackle the climate crisis – something that can become a reality if adequate and consistent climate finance is made additional to aid. This stream of finance can unlock new technologies and projects to help communities adapt, survive and thrive in the face of climate change.
“Technology like the Pastoral Early Warning System (PEWS) for instance responds to the unignorable link between climate change and hunger. This technology helps herders dodge drought: Every year, herders travel from one desiccated field to another in search of pasture and water for livestock. This PEWS system helps herders find suitable grazing land; it sends radio, text, and community bulletin alerts after analysing real-time data on crop yields and prevalence of animal diseases.”