On the Occasion of the 20th Anniversary Commemoration of African Day: My Reflections on the Role of Academia and Civil Society

Fellow Africans And Africans in the Diaspora.

On the 20th anniversary of African Day, it is imperative that every interested citizen reflect on the occasion. Africa Day provides us with a day of reflection on Africa’s achievements in the recent past, a celebration of its population and culture; as well as the conundrums which confronted us in various directions. As we speak, the globe is going through one of its most difficult periods in history; this calls for Africans to take a common stance in order to go across the bridge.

African Day encourages contemplation and aspiration for a united, prosperous, and peaceful Africa! Despite the common assertion that Africa is an economically developing continent, it is prone to a number of reasons of instability. Africa requires an institutional structuration process to handle the complexity of the difficulties confronted by the continent. Currently, Africa faces multiple and complex security concerns that represent grave dangers to the continent's stability, prompting it to take aggressive and tangible measures. Therefore, African academics and civil society essential interact through symmetrical and consolidated alliances within the context of an all-encompassing strategy to advance security, economic progress, and human development. Africa has a lot of human and natural potential, but it needs to decide its own fate and get on a determined path to development. By doing so, I sincerely believe Africa can ascend the ladder to become an indispensable player on the international scene.

Fellow Africans

This year’s Africa Day theme, “Strengthening Resilience in Nutrition and Food Security on the African Continent for a Better Africa,” is a vital concern for the African populace. It is an excellent opportunity to focus on one of the most critical issues of Africa’s development agenda nutrition and food security. Undeniably, the ongoing feud between Russia and Ukraine directly impacts the escalation of existing threats to the nation’s food supply which are now significantly more severe than previously. Alternatively, I believe that nutrition and food crises will act as a wake-up call for Africans. The event provided the motivation for Africans to concentrate on achieving food self-sufficiency through boosting agricultural productivity holistically.??

As a result of climate change, the African continent as a whole and small farmers and pastoralist communities, in particular, have a lot riding on the outcome of this situation. There is a multitude of impacts, the most significant of which are the disruption and loss of rainfall and occurrences of drought and famine that threaten the lives of humans and animals. In addition, the ever-shifting weather patterns cause disruptions in the water supply; as a result, agricultural productivity will suffer, and a lack of food will ensue. A catastrophic famine can be traced back to the persistent drought that has plagued the African continent. Consequently, similar occurrences on a regular basis are the root cause of tribal strife on a local level over limited resources. At the macro level, such strain creates a threat to national security, in addition to the widespread displacement and uncontrolled migration that follows.

The observed alteration of the ecosystem in Africa has resulted in a decline in crop yields and cattle output as a result of heat stress, drought, and flooding. Rainfall is the primary source of water for most of Africa's subsistence and small-scale farms, which provide the only means of income for around 75 per cent of the continent's inhabitants. The most significant difficulty is not just being dependent on rainfall but also the fact that the soil's fertility is on the verge of becoming obsolete. The reduction in agricultural yields, as well as the failure of crops and the death of livestock, are all caused by the deterioration of arable land caused by desertification and soil erosion. Every year, hundreds of pastoralist groups suffer losses in cattle as a direct result of the climate conditions that exist. A catastrophe of this magnitude would cause people to flee in masse, both within Africa and to a number of countries located further offshore, in an effort to save their lives.

?Fellow Africans And Africans in the Diaspora

? Despite the fact that Africa has had phenomenal economic growth and relatively stable political conditions over the course of the previous two decades, there are still many challenges facing the continent. The effects of climate change, on the other hand, have emerged as a significant obstacle to the forward momentum of development on the continent. In addition to this, the destabilising effect of climate change has implications for biodiversity, soil fertility, livestock, small farmers, and pastoralist communities. There is no question that the rate at which the earth is warming at an alarming rate is the most significant obstacle that humanity will face in the twenty-first century. The phenomenon requires appropriate attention across all government and intergovernmental agencies that have resources. Because of their many years of expertise, pastoralist communities are taking the initiative to develop adaptation and mitigation strategies for climate change.

?The unpredictability of the impacts of climate change and the extent of those impacts may exceed the anticipated environmental problems. The effect is substantial in terms of the surge of unmanaged migration, the disruption of socioeconomic progress, as well as peace and security, particularly in developing countries. The adverse effects of climate change will soon be experienced on a daily basis by people of all walks of life. Even more crucially, subsistence farmers and pastoralists are being put in the path of a devastating danger to their way of life. As a result, the most important question that needs to be answered is what kind of solution there is to the problem of global warming. Africa is the most susceptible region in the world to the effects of climate change, which can tear at the social fabric of society if enough precautions are not taken to strengthen its ability in a timely manner.

Fellow Africans And Africans in the Diaspora

The new watchword of the African Union for the year 2022 is "Strengthening Resilience in Nutrition and Food Security on the African Continent for a Better Africa." It seems reasonable to prioritise climate change impacts that address not only food insecurity but also threats to human life. Africa has experienced a shift in weather patterns, and thus, the frequency of drought cycles has increased, creating food crisis-related difficulties. Intrastate collaboration needs to combat climate change in the spirit of reintegrating Africa with indigenous knowledge and putting people at the centre. The effects of climate change are not confined to specific regions but rather a society as a whole, which transcends the borders of individual nations. Africa views the ongoing catastrophe caused by global warming as the most significant threat to international development at this juncture. According to scientific facts and the scenarios indicated by the world's leading climate experts and the scientific community, Africa will bear the most considerable impact. And endure the most destructive consequences of the viral excesses created by the most significant externality on the planet. In Africa, climate change exacerbates drought and famine, global migration, displacement, and warfare. Farmers and pastoralists in Africa have no control over the ever-changing climate. Agriculture, fishing, and forestry are especially damaged by interruptions in precipitation and excessive heat. Efforts and research must be increased in order to combat the natural menace of the 21st century. The following are important recommendations.

·?????Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is crucial for providing small farmers and pastoral communities with meaningful research, information exchange projections, and capacity building. Among the support services for deforestation are soil conservation and medical provision. On the basis of appropriate surveys, the primary priority regions should be defined; nevertheless, safeguarding land degradation, biodiversity, and livestock should be prioritised globally. It is essential to familiarise small farmers and pastoral communities with irrigation and water management systems, to introduce drought- and heat-resistant crop types, and to provide small farmers and pastoral communities with financial insurance choices.

·?????Academic institutions collaborate closely with small farmers and pastoral communities to comprehend their issues and acquire local expertise. Moreover, it is essential to incorporate local knowledge into the national environmental policy. Countries prone to climate change must develop a collaborative platform to devise ways for mitigating its effects, and a holistic approach is required for the creation of protective mechanisms. Establishing a research and development centre that examines subregional and regional climate change trends, including the exchange of research results, is crucial. Migration and displacement as a result of climate change should receive enough consideration at all levels, and governments should also establish migration policies that account for climate change.

Africans and Africans living in the Diaspora, I wish you to enjoy the Africa Day festivities!

Seife Tadelle Kidane (PhD)

Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation!