African leaders discuss priority projects to safeguard continent at COP22

As concerns grow over the future position of the United States regarding the Paris agreement, African leaders attending the climate change summit in Marrakech have held a meeting on the sidelines of the main event to discuss possible solutions to the threat posed by climate change to the continent.

Although Africa’s industrialization is not at the same level as that of the developed world, it is considered to be the most at risk from climate change.

The African leaders at their meeting identified some priority projects in the area of renewable energy as well as protecting the environment.

One of the projects is a 7,600 km ‘green wall’ from Senegal to Djibouti to ward off desertification which is already affecting the former as well as deforestation.

Another project of importance is the establishment of a blue fund to protect the Congo basin, the world’s second largest rainforest after the Amazon. The basin which cuts across central Africa through Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo, accounts for 18% of the world’s remaining rainforests.

President of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou also used the occasion to raise an alarm over the situation in the Lake Chad basin which currently occupies less than 10 percent of its original area.

The agreements from the meeting will be submitted to the Africa Union as efforts are made to raise funds from the private sector to finance the projects.

Developed nations are also expected to honour their promise of funding to cut fossil fuel emissions.

Recent estimates from the World Bank suggest that up to 10 million dollars will be needed annually to address challenges posed by climate change in Africa.