What: The Africa Climate Summit and Africa Climate Week will take place in Nairobi from 4-8 September 2023. Co-hosted by the Government of Kenya and the Africa Union Commission (AUC), it brings together various stakeholders including Governments, policymakers, CSOs, private sector and youth to develop and accelerate actions and solutions to climate change in Africa. Specifically, deliberations will be on the nexus between climate change, Africa’s development reality and the delivery of climate-positive growth and finance solutions for this region.
Aim: Wetlands International will be actively involved at this inaugural continental event with a focus at championing wetlands as one of most effective nature-based solution to climate regulation (mitigation and adaptation), and for their inclusion in climate change financing. In addition, there is need to secure inclusive, multi and cross–sectoral collaboration and commitments at regional and global levels that can bring transformative change on the ground, particularly the local communities whose lives and livelihoods depend on wetland ecosystems.
Key Messages
- Wetlands are one of most effective nature-based solution to climate regulation.
- It is urgent for countries to raise wetlands conservation ambition to get closer to national, regional and global goals.
- Scale-up action and investment in wetlands conservation and management is required to address rising needs and bring impact to the values they provide to both people and nature.
- Local actors are key in the conservation and management of wetlands.
Our Events at the Africa Climate Summit & Week
Monday, 4 September
Action Hub Event: Rangelands Management & Climate-Resilience: Deferred Grazing Approach for Rangelands Management in Turkana County, Kenya
Time: 10:45 – 11:15 EAT Venue: Main Courtyard Area
Details: Pastoralism is the main livelihood in Turkana County, accounting for 60% of the population. This action hub event will showcase the Community Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) approach that targets rangelands in Turkana County in northern Kenya. The CBNRM approach is being implemented through a partnership between Wetlands International, the County Government of Turkana and Tupado. It will showcase the reseeding of two rangelands with the aim of enhancing climate resilience and ecosystem management.
Organisers: Wetlands International, Tupado, County Government of Turkana
Speaker: Paul Ekwar
High-Level Ministerial Side Event: Freshwater Challenge
Time: 15.30 – 16:30 EAT Venue: Mount Nimba
Details: Freshwater Challenge is a country-driven initiative that aims at leveraging the support needed to bring at least 300,000 km of rivers and 350 million hectares of inland waters under restoration globally by 2030, as a wetlands contribution to the ecosystems restoration target of the Global Biodiversity Framework. This event is the official launch of the Freshwater Challenge in Africa – with the Governments of Kenya and Zambia taking the lead – and aims to create political momentum towards COP28 and mobilise action to restore degraded freshwater ecosystems in the continent.
Partners: UNEP, IUCN, Wetlands International, Conservation International, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
Session Two (15:50 – 16:10 EAT) of Freshwater Challenge: Freshwater Ecosystems Restoration and Conservation – Countries Priorities for Climate Adaption and Mitigation
Moderator: Julie Mulonga
Tuesday, 5 September
Great Blue Wall Side Event: Commitments toward Accelerating and Upscaling Ocean Action in Africa
Time: 08:00 – 09:00 EAT Venue: Aberdare Room
Details: An African driven effort, the Great Blue Wall aims to accelerate action and catalyse investments toward the nature conservation—climate change—blue economy nexus. It aims to achieve this by supporting countries to establish an inclusively-governed connected network of regenerative seascapes that deliver for people and nature.
Organisers: IUCN, UNECA, the African Union, Mozambique’s National Administration of Conservation Areas, Wetlands International, Mission Inclusion, WWF
Speaker: Julie Mulonga
Wednesday, 6 September
High-Level Ministerial Side Event (Peatlands): Unlocking Sustainable Investment in Nature-based Solutions for Climate Action in Africa
Time: 14:00 – 15:30 EAT Venue: Taifa Hall
Details: Africa is home to 670 million hectares of forests and 40 million hectares of peatlands. The preservation of these tremendous carbon sinks is a key nature-based solution. The scale of emission reductions required to stay within 2ºC is simply too large to achieve without the contribution of nature. Reducing deforestation and forest degradation – including peatlands and mangroves – represents one of the most effective, mature, and robust mitigation options to substantially slash emissions.
Organisers: UNEP and UNEP Global Peatlands Initiative (GPI), UN-REDD, The Climate Champions, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Wetlands International, African Forest Forum (AFF), Congo Peat Project, Greifswald Mire Center
Speaker: Simon Akwetaireho