Fellow Africans, take climate change seriously!
In November 2016, I was part of 178 journalists drawn from across the world to cover the United Nations Climate Change Summit—popularly known as Conference of Parties (COP)—in the city of Marrakesh, Morocco.
The goal of the conference—called COP 22—was for nations to develop national programmes that will help the world to bring down the global temperature to 2 degrees Celsius. The current 10 degrees Celsius is responsible for several calamities bring experienced: floods, drought, rising sea levels and several diseases.
I have been compelled to do this write-up after observing two pains.
One, just finished watching a BBC report on drop of the average flow of Victoria Falls by 50 percent. Two, I have been driving around Gauteng Province and experienced worst floods that have swept away homes and properties of thousands.
These two unfortunate instances reiterates one fact: the world has heated up; climate change is real. It’s no longer just an academic debate.
I am happy that as I write, COP 25 is currently underway in the city of Madrid, Spain. From what I have gathered so far, COP 25, aims to finalise guidelines needed for nations to follow to keep the global temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius.
If nations, in the next 10 years, manages to keep the temperatures below 2 degrees, the world we live in, I tell you, will remain the better place to have all the fun. But, if our leaders play coy to the climate change dangers on our doorsteps, be very scared if you have children or you intent to have one.
- Ephraim Nyondo is a South African –based Malawian senior media parctitoner and researcher. He writes columns on Nyasa Times and Nation newspaper on topical issues. Nyondo works as Communications Director for Prophet Shepherd Bushiri and ECG Church
