Climate Change and Africa

Images of devastation are usual in many media outlets of the great misery affecting many populations from the ongoing extended drought in East Africa. To many people those are just gory images that are swiftly replaced by the more glorious exploits of football stars or formula one drivers on the race to being at the top of the pack. Never forgetting the very affluent being entertained by Golf sports with now the competition being between the R&A and the recent entry of the LIV.

The focus, financing and media publicity of these events could easily make some people in the world, that the entire globe has no problems and thus live is all beautiful. The concentration of the wealth in western Europe and North America, who are the world super rich states makes many other upcoming endowed individuals to migrate there.

THE ENTRY OF THE BRICS.

Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, have come into the picture and some of their advances have lifted some of their poor communities into a new status of development. The development of modern manufacturing have made China the factory of the world and their advancement has made use of farm tools and other necessities more affordable.

The combined population of the BRICS IS 3.22 billion people making almost 40% of the world population. The population of the NATO countries (Canada, USA, France, UK, Germany, Spain, etc) is 962 million. The European block of NATO has an economic force of 18.35 $ trillion economy , while the population is 610 million people. USA and Canada has an economic footprint of 18 $ trillion for the USA with a population of 330 million, while Canada has 1.65 $ trillion with a population of 40 million.

The contrast of this population and economics seems to be the next frontier of the 21st century contest of power. The population and the geographic size of the BRICS is enormous and there are strategies being put in place to include countries like Egypt into the BRICS agenda.

INDUSTRIAL IMPACTS ASSOCIATION WTH CLIMATE CHANGE.

While the Eastern part of Africa is being devastated by climate change impacts, their contribution to the climate forcing gases is negligible and continue to suffer from the massive climate causing Green house gases from these countries. If the right investment has been put in place, some of these impacts could be mitigated.

Historically, most of the Horn of Africa countries have supported the Western block which has been associated with the largest oil and gas companies whose global warming footprint is larger than any other industry. Among the most notable companies are?Saudi Arabian Oil Co. ( Saudi Aramco), PetroChina Co. Ltd. ( PTR), China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. ( SNP), Exxon Mobil Corp. ( XOM), TotalEnergies SE (TOT), BP PLC (BP), #7 Chevron Corp. ( CVX), and Marathon Petroleum Corp. ( MPC). Their global carbon foot print is a big one but their hopes of helping those most impacted by their actions is negligible.

Its our hope that climate finance which has been promised in several areas can be used to rescue the innocent population whose only fault is being at the wrong place and the wrong time. If the greed of profits was to be neutered by some humanity, the suffering of the people of the Horn of Africa could be solved easily.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST.

The spending so far for the Ukraine - Russia war is $ 140 billion, while the humanitarian appeal for the 25 million affected population in the horn of Africa is $ 45 million. If humanity ever existed, this is the time to activate those levers and ensure systems are put in place to end this suffering. https://reliefweb.int/report/ethiopia/horn-africa-drought-humanitarian-update-10-june-2022. https://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing/2022/6/62babf6b4/unhcr-appeals-life-saving-aid-millions-affected-catastrophic-horn-africa.html.

compare the cost of military drone and provision a borehole for water (Military drones are expensive to replace - a single Bayraktar TB2 costs about $2m (￡1.7m).) this alone could drill more than 20 boreholes.

Simple Javelin missile cost (FGM-148 Javelin ;?US$216,717?(G-model missile only, FY2021) · US$240,000 (missile only, export cost, FY2019) · US$249,700 (Lightweight CLU only, FY2021)?. Which is enough to feed more than 1000 people.

ASSUMPTIONS

If only these countries could spare some humanitarian efforts for the Horn of Africa, the spending of $ 1 billion could help establish watering points and irrigation programs which could solve some of these problems in a long term nature.

The absence of a well intentioned response to drought will only result to increased poverty and disrupted livelihoods from drought and make these countries remain poor.

If directed humanitarian assistance would be provided, this will be cheaper than hosting any Formula one, football or golf events.