World Bank to launch climate business plan to help Africa withstand weather climate change

The World Bank has decided to launch the Africa Climate Business Plan at the U.N. climate talks in Paris next week to help Africa in tackling the weather climate change crisis.

The plan will offer African nations financial aid of US$16 billion (AU$22.08 billion) to enhance its clean energy production. The plan will make land, water and cities resistant to droughts, floods, rising seas and storms. The amount will also ensure increased access to green energy and development of an early warning system to help the people be aware about any severe climatic change in advance.

World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said that, as a continent with a population of one billion people Africa emits three percent of the total greenhouse gas of the world. Hence even a minor rise in global temperature will directly affect it. “Sub-Saharan Africa is highly vulnerable to climate shocks, and our research shows that could have far-ranging impact – on everything from child stunting and malaria to food price increases and droughts,” the president said in a statement .

“This plan identifies concrete steps that African governments can take to ensure that their countries will not lose hard-won gains in economic growth and poverty reduction, and they can offer some protection from climate change.”

The business plan highlights fast adaptation to climate change worth US$10.7 billion (AU$14.77 billion) from 2016-2020. This will enable farmers to adapt to new advance farming techniques and grow varieties of crops, thereby leading to better water management in the Niger, Zambezi basins and Lake Chad. The amount will help reduce coastal erosion by deploying advanced technology and enhance flood protection strategies and help restoring degrading land and forest areas.

“The Africa Climate Business Plan spells out a clear path to invest in the continent’s urgent climate needs and to fast-track the required climate finance to ensure millions of people are protected from sliding into extreme poverty,” explains Makhtar Diop, World Bank Group Vice President for Africa.

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