NAIROBI, (CAJ News) – STAKEHOLDERS are exploring strategies to improve Africa’s readiness to confront climate and environmental shocks.
To enhance the continent’s preparedness, the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) will host its 24th annual Senior Policy Seminar this week.
Themed “Climate Change and Economic Development in Africa”, the virtual forum will focus on policy proposals that can be adopted to shape the region’s response to climatic shocks.
This year’s seminar will assist policymakers and other actors to better understand the impact of climate change on economic development, particularly focusing on policies that will build and strengthen the resilience of sub-Saharan African economies to ensure sustainability of growth and development.
Prof. Njuguna Ndung’u, AERC Executive Director, said climate change had emerged as one of the key socio-economic and developmental challenges confronting policymakers in Africa.
The official noted this had the potential for reversing the significant gains made in poverty reduction and inequality, social inclusion, economic growth, and development in the last two decades.
“We notice supply side shocks that drive domestic food and energy prices are critical to this thinking and the mitigation process,” Ndung’u added.
To enhance mitigation and adaptation to climate change, African governments are required to make major structural investment and policy decisions.
The AERC seminar coincides with some regions, mostly Southern Africa, feeling the impact of climate change.
A series of tropical cyclones have hit the sub-region since the beginning of the year.