Climate Watch: World in climate adaptation emergency, says Antonio Guterres

Despite directly impacting our communities, health, and livelihood, climate-related reports usually take a back seat to dominant news beats like politics and business. Climate Watch aims to ensure you never miss important stories on climate change and actions being taken toward limiting its impacts.

Here is a round-up of last week’s climate stories:

• The Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI), a non-profit organisation, last week, launched climate flash cards in Kwara to enhance awareness and protect the environment. Educators from 24 schools across the state were present at the training organised for teachers in the state. Abideen Olasupo, BBYDI global director, said climate education plays a critical role in advancing climate actions to address various environmental challenges facing Nigeria and the world. Olasupo said the climate flash cards were designed for primary and secondary school students to transform the way they learn about climate change and environmental protection. Teachers were also provided with climate champion flashcards. Read more here.
• The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), on October 31, said it has set up a climate and energy desk to assist in tackling climate change. The agency said the initiative tagged “SMEDAN climate and green energy desk” (SCGED) was introduced by Charles Odii, the director-general (DG) of the agency. The initiative is aimed at empowering and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) “actively” engaged in the development of clean energy solutions and other climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. Find out more here.
•  Communities in Lagos and Ogun states have continued to grapple with severe flooding attributed to the periodic opening of the Ogun Dam. The incident has inflicted hardship on residents, impacting their daily lives and causing the loss of properties and livelihoods, with no comprehensive solution from the federal government in sight. See photos here.
• A report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), on November 2, said progress on climate adaptation is slowing on all fronts. The UNEP’s “Adaptation Gap Report 2023″ said the world is underfinanced, underprepared and lacks adequate planning to adapt to the risks associated with climate change. The report said the current climate adaptation finance gap is widening and now stands between $194 billion and $366 billion per year. Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary general, said the adaptation report shows a growing divide between need and action. The UN secretary general said steps must be taken “to close the adaptation gap, now”. He said “we are in an adaptation emergency and we must act like it”. Guterres said vulnerable nations should have the support they need to develop and implement adaptation investment plans by 2025. Find out more here.