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Africa: Frontline of a Planetary Emergency – Africa Demands Climate Justice and Action

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2 days ago

September 21, 2025

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The room at the Swiss Inn Nexus Hotel in Bole was silent but tense as Sunita Narain, one of the world’s most influential environmental voices, fixed her gaze on rows of African journalists, scientists, and policymakers. Her tone was gentle, but the words cut deep.
“Us, we are–I call us the ants of the world, okay. We are the ants, so we have to keep at it,” said Narain, the Director General of India’s Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). “We have to keep understanding and we have to keep at it and to do that we need to build this conversation, this community and keep it going.”
Her audience had gathered on September 18 for the launch of The State of Africa’s Environment 2025, a sweeping assessment of a continent reeling from floods, heat waves, droughts, and collapsing food systems. The event, organized by CSE in partnership with the Alliance for Science-Ethiopia and Media for Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture (MESHA) of Kenya, became more than a briefing–it was a call to arms.
A Continent on the Frontline
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The report’s numbers were stark. Africa’s warming trend now outpaces the global average. “2024 was the warmest year on record for Africa,” Narain said. “The entire ocean area of Africa was under marine heat wave… and between 2021 and 2025 you had the most devastating five-year stretch in terms of human toll from extreme weather events.”
In just five years, over 200 million Africans have been affected by extreme weather, with nearly 70 percent of recorded deaths from such events occurring in that period.
Yet, Narain noted, “There is no death because of climate change,” quoting the euphemisms and omissions in national databases. “Every year, every month, extreme weather events are breaking new records. Every region is devastated. I call this the revenge of nature.”
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has long warned of Africa’s vulnerability, but the report underscored how rapidly the danger is escalating. Seven of the world’s ten most climate-vulnerable nations are African, according to Brookings Institution analysis. The World Meteorological Organization estimates that every third global death from extreme weather in the past 50 years occurred in Africa.
‘This Is a Matter of Existence’
Negus Lemma, Ethiopia’s Deputy Director General of the Environmental Protection Authority, offered a blunt assessment: “Discussing and working on issues of climate and environmental protection is an extravagance, but it is a matter of existence and way of life.”
He cited UNFCCC figures showing 16 of the world’s 19 hunger hotspots this year are in Eastern and Southern Africa and the Sahel, where conflict and climate shocks combine to devastate crops. “Over 115 million people faced acute food insecurity in Eastern and Southern Africa and the Sahel in 2025,” he said. “In Africa, the most vulnerable populations are particularly people living in remote rural areas and informal settlements, as well as women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities, and those living in poverty.”
Lemma highlighted Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative (GLI) as an African-led solution. Anchored by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the program planted a record-breaking 714.7 million seedlings in a single day this July. “The 2025 planting campaign was part of an annual target to plant 7.5 billion trees,” Lemma said. “This is an African model of climate adaptation.”
Food, Water, and Health on the Edge
Narain warned that Africa’s climate crisis is not just about weather–it is about livelihoods. “Water will be at the center of climate change,” she said. “You will get more water in fewer number of rainy days. The ability of a society to be able to hold the water… is going to be key.”
She painted an unsettling picture of failing crops, declining cocoa yields, and rising plant diseases that will erode farmers’ profits. “That means more and more money being spent by the farmer and less and less money in terms of the ability to be able to save or to make farming profitable.”
Health threats loom equally large.
“Climate change will lead to more temperature spikes, more flooding, more rain, and more heat,” Narain said. “It will have an impact on vectors–on malaria, on dengue, on chikungunya… flooding… cholera has come back as one of the biggest health problems once again.”
Her concern extended even to the concrete towers of Addis Ababa.
“I look at your architecture and I wonder whether this is going to be appropriate for the extreme heat that we are going to have. Architecture for heat is going to require us to have more and more ventilation–the traditional architecture of our region.”
Climate Justice and Reparations
Dr. Rita Bissoonauth, UNESCO‘s Director for the Addis Liaison Office, described the crisis as one of equity and dignity.
“Africa is on the frontline of a climate emergency it did not create,” she said. “Climate hazards are causing significant economic losses… This is not just an environmental crisis; it is a profound inequality. It is also a humanitarian crisis: water scarcity already affects 14 African countries, with a further 11 projected to join them by 2025–putting nearly half of the continent’s 1.45 billion people at risk of severe water stress.”
Bissoonauth called the report “a moral compass,” linking environmental stress to broader issues like food insecurity and migration. She urged journalists to humanize the science: “Reports don’t change the world; people do, especially those who turn complex evidence into public understanding and demand for action.”
She reminded participants of the African Union’s 2025 Theme on Reparations.
“Climate justice is inseparable from historical justice. This is a call to action, through innovative financing and public-private collaboration, to scale investment where it counts.”
Holding the Rich World Accountable
Narain did not spare high-emitting nations. “Africa is not responsible for the stock of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Let’s be absolutely clear about it,” she said. “The appropriation of the global carbon budget … that’s a finite budget.”
She pointed to the United States taking nearly a quarter of that budget since 1870.
“China became the manufacturing hub for the entire world… and then you have India… the rest of the world, all of you combined, are left with 24 percent of the global budget,” she said. “Now the world is going to go even more backwards. We have the Trump world now, where climate change is being denied. Drill, baby, drill is back on the agenda.”
Migration and Social Fractures
Narain cautioned against oversimplification. “I have a problem with [the term] ‘climate refugees’ because one day it will come back to haunt us,” she said. Extreme weather, she added, is often “the tipping point that forces already vulnerable people to migrate.”
The report shows disaster-related displacements surged from 1.1 million to 6.3 million in 2020, with projections of unprecedented future migration without urgent action. “Africa would have the highest rate of displacement or migration because of this,” Narain warned.
Chroniclers of Today
For Narain, the fight is as much about storytelling as science.
“We are the chroniclers of today… if we don’t have that voice, if we don’t have that reality check, we will forget,” she said. “We will in a generation believe that whatever we are seeing in the name of climate change is just a new normal and that there’s nothing we can do about it.”
Bissoonauth echoed this. “An African proverb reminds us: ‘Until the lion learns to write, every story will glorify the hunter.’ This report provides the evidence. But you–the journalists–are the writers who will ensure the story of Africa’s environment is told by Africans, for Africans, and for the world.”
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Spotlighting African Solutions
Lemma urged the continent to “spotlight African solutions and adaptation mechanisms … including during the upcoming COP30 in Belém, Brazil.” Ethiopia’s Climate Resilient Green Economy strategy, integrated with its National Adaptation Plan, is an example of embedding adaptation into development. Narain pressed journalists to focus on local innovation.
“Solutions are where our mind is today,” she said. “Highlight water harvesting, sustainable farming, and community resilience alongside the warnings.”
Bissoonauth suggested cross-border collaborations and empowering citizens: “Follow pledges from summit halls to real-world outcomes… amplify innovation from communities, youth, and women–they are not just victims.”
A Call to Keep Going
As applause filled the hall, Narain’s closing words were both a plea and a promise: “It is sometimes heartbreaking to say we have not got where we need to go–but we can’t give up. So, we have to keep at it. What does the continent of Africa do? What does India do?… This is the double whammy that exists–the environmental crisis coming on top of the climate crisis. But we are ants. We keep going.”
The State of Africa’s Environment 2025 may not reverse the climate emergency, but for Narain and her allies, chronicling Africa’s crisis–and its ingenuity–is itself an act of resilience.
“How do you stitch it together and make the big picture come alive? That’s what these reports are able to do,” she said. “Because if we do not tell this story, no one else will.”
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AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 120 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.
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Africa: Governance, Evidence, Narratives – Building Blocks for a Multisectoral Ncd and Mental Health Response

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5 minutes ago

September 23, 2025

An24 Africa

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The global burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health conditions represents far more than a health and well-being challenge. The alarming figures – 43 million NCD-related deaths each year and one billion people living with mental health conditions worldwide – underscore the profound economic, equity and development implications of one of the most pressing global health issues of our time.
Heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, chronic lung disease and other NCDs take and devastate countless lives, but also hinder human and economic development, drain billions from economies, and put the most vulnerable at disproportionate risk. The major modifiable risk factors for NCDs – tobacco and alcohol use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets and air pollution – are driven by socioeconomic, environmental or commercial determinants of health. Our income, social status, or level of education, the environment which we are born and live in, as well as our ability to access and afford care, all influence effective NCD prevention, management and treatment services.
A crucial step to advancing sustainable development
As many of the root causes and consequences of NCDs lie outside the traditional domain of public health, effective governance and policy-making must be multisectoral, engaging finance, trade, social affairs, economic development, treasury, technology, education and other relevant government sectors.
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The forthcoming political declaration of the Fourth High-Level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and the promotion of mental health and well-being recognizes that health is both a precondition for, and an outcome of, sustainable development as a whole. Across all its commitments, it calls upon countries to have operational, multisectoral, and integrated policies or action plans on noncommunicable diseases and mental health in place by 2030.
However, implementing multisectoral governance and developing coherent policies remains a practical challenge for many countries. Institutionalizing cross-sectoral governance and a “whole-of-government” approach with clear accountability, fostering leadership, leveraging interdisciplinary data and evidence, and reframing NCDs beyond a mere health issue often prove complex, costly, or difficult to sustain over time.
Still, countries are demonstrating promising progress in effectively formalizing, informing and promoting multisectoral action.
Incentivizing and sustaining multisectoral governance
Effective multisectoral collaboration builds on joint governance and accountability among different government sectors and public agencies, leadership at all levels, a culture of interdisciplinary communication and collaboration, as well as dedicated human and financial resources. As much as possible, these strategic pillars of multisectoral governance and action should be formalized through presidential orders or municipal bills, high-level cross-sectoral committees or working groups, dedicated workstreams and meetings, or targeted financing and budgeting.
In Finland, for example, an Advisory Board for Public Health convenes the Ministries of Agriculture and Forestry, Finance, Education and Culture, Employment and the Economy, Environment, Interior, Justice, Social Affairs and Health, and Transport and Communications. Through several national initiatives, the Advisory Board has improved decision-making on complex issues such as the negative impact of obesity on the working capacity of the population.
In Tanzania, the multisectoral National NCD Programme under the leadership of the Prime Minister’s Office includes a yearly multi-sectoral steering meeting and is supported by a network of dedicated focal persons specializing in health in all policies in multiple government agencies.
Leveraging multistakeholder data- and knowledge-sharing
Multisectoral NCD policies and programmes must draw and integrate diverse data sources, different types of evidence and interdisciplinary expertise, including from actors beyond the health sector, and include people living with NCDs, mental health and neurological conditions in the design and implementation of these policies.
The production, exchange and application of multisectoral evidence can be supported through multistakeholder collaboration whilst ensuring clear lines of measurable accountability for implementation. Governments should leverage the expertise of academia, communities, civil society and people living with NCDs, mental health and neurological conditions to ensure their meaningful engagement in NCD initiatives.
In Canada, for example, the Quality of Life Framework effectively combines health data with economic, social, governance, and environmental indicators to measure well-being and to inform federal budgeting processes and reporting.
In the small municipality of Paipa in Colombia, a digital information system helps policy-makers and public health specialists to monitor the health status of urban and rural communities, combining data on social, economic, housing, environmental and health needs in a single municipal system that informs multisectoral policies and programmes.
Reframing the NCD narrative
Formalizing multisectoral governance and leveraging interdisciplinary evidence also help reframe the narrative of NCDs as a pressing and increasing socio-economic, environmental, and development endeavor.
There are multiple strategies to address this communication challenge: emphasizing the co-benefits of multisectoral action – including economic gains, social equity, and environmental impact – and stressing the unsustainable costs of inaction and the devastating impact of health inequities; or anchoring NCD prevention and control in people’s right to health, the need for universal health coverage, or integrated primary health care. Strong, multisectoral narratives on NCDs are key to mobilizing different stakeholders, and a powerful means for building trust, and reducing siloed structures and competing priorities.
In Sri Lanka, for example, an educational initiative for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes framed education as a tool for prevention, a long-term investment in human capital and a cross-sectoral responsibility, rather than just a health or education issue. Through the resulting multisectoral school health, screening and health promotion programme, this multisectoral initiative achieved a lasting, positive impact on tackling challenges of unhealthy diets, obesity and physical inactivity.
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In the Philippines, a campaign to promote physical activity was reframed as an initiative for active transport and open spaces, presenting a health concern as a challenge for transport and urban planning. Since the programme’s inception in 2021, more than 500 km of bicycle lanes were built or improved in the Metropolitan areas of Manila, Davao, and Cebu as part as part of the Active Transport programme.
Key steps to advancing multisectoral governance and action on NCDs
In support of the global commitment by Member States to multisectoral collaboration in the forthcoming political declaration, governments, in collaboration with civil society and relevant partners, can advance cross-sectoral NCD policies and programmes in three key areas:

institutionalize multisectoral governance with clear and transparent accountability, coherent NCD policies and joint action as sustainable and resilient government mechanisms, financing mechanisms, or national priority initiatives;
strengthen coherent multisectoral data governance and evidence frameworks that include standardized, interoperable data collection systems and leverage expertise from diverse communities and people with lived experience; and
reshape the predominant NCD narratives to highlight the co-benefits of multisectoral action and emphasize shared roles and accountability across sectors and actors.

About the series
This commentary is part of a series highlighting priority areas to accelerate progress in the global NCD and mental health response and address related global health equity challenges ahead of the Fourth High-Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNHLM4) in 2025.
Discover the full series
Read the original article on WHO.
AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 110 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.
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Africa: United Nations At 80 – Better Together

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1 hour ago

September 23, 2025

An24 Africa

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This Tuesday, September 23, the 80th session of the UN General Assembly will open in New York. Its theme– »Better Together: More than 80 Years of Serving Peace, Development, and Human Rights »–is eminently laudable. It offers an opening in an international context no longer characterized by a Cold War, but rather by real, deadly wars–Gaza, Ukraine–between Europe and Russia, and between Israelis and Palestinians. In this unprecedented context, that wish– »Better Together »–constitutes a hope for ending wars and reviving belief in peace.
The current situation of « hot » wars and trade wars, in which the major powers are the main, if not, the only actors, contributes neither to the credibility nor to the effectiveness of the UN, much less to that of the permanent members of the Security Council. Their reluctance, or powerlessness, or even their direct and indirect participation in wars, weakens trust in the UN. Across the world, populations, increasingly interconnected via social media, doubt its commitment to peace and become skeptical of its effectiveness. Its five permanent members are certainly not coming out on top. Worse, the international community is increasingly perceived not as a global entity but as diverse groups with conflicting interests. The famous « We the Peoples » of the UN Charter is gradually withering away. In that context, and given the current serious antagonisms between the major powers, the risks of a new world war are more real than ever.
Other serious crises–climate change, chaotic regional and international migrations–affect peaceful relations between nations and call for serious action to find lasting solutions for peace. With the current ongoing wars, the credibility of the Security Council is seriously weakened, while the message of the Global South, still to be appreciated, is gaining strength among public opinion and in reality.
The continuation of ongoing conflicts, broadcast through various modern means of communication–weakening the image of the Security Council and that of its permanent members in particular–affects the credibility of the United Nations. Its predecessor, the League of Nations (League of Nations), having been unable to prevent the Second World War, barely survived it.
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In conclusion, preventing the already declining international legitimacy from further collapsing remains the responsibility of key decision-makers, particularly the permanent members of the Security Council and other major financial contributors. With the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, the millions of refugees and displaced persons, mass migration, and continued environmental degradation, increased effectiveness of the international community should be more than a wish; it should be a vital necessity for all, a « better together » approach.
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Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah President centre4s and former UN Under Secretary general
Read the original article on Centre 4s.
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Africa: UNGA Explained – a Simple Guide for 2025

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3 hours ago

September 23, 2025

An24 Africa

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What Is UNGA?
Every September, world leaders gather at the United Nations headquarters in New York for the UN General Assembly (UNGA) — the world’s biggest diplomatic meeting. Countries debate, make statements, and vote on the biggest global issues, from climate change to peace and security.
When Does It Happen?
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Who Speaks?
Where Does It Take Place?
What’s On the Agenda This Year?
How Does Membership Work?
How to Follow Along
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Read the original article on Capital FM.
AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 110 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.
Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.
AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa – aggregating, producing and distributing 500 news and information items daily from over 110 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC.
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