“is taught In schools climate change as something that will happen in the future,” says Vanessa Nakate. “And that you have to Worry about.” But then the 23-Year-old has started in her home country of Uganda to look around. “I realized that the consequences are now felt in my country.”
Nakate is often compared with Greta Thunberg. It is one of the most well-known young climate activists and activists in Africa. More than a year ago, it has implemented Thun mountain climate movement Fridays for the Future, for the first time in their homeland; in the Corona-Lockdown is now in the social networks. But Nakate is not only fighting against climate change, but also to pay more attention to the continent that suffers most from the consequences – and for more attention on the global stage of climate activism.
droughts, Floods and cyclones
Africa has so far contributed only about three percent of the global CO2 emissions. However, the future looks to be disproportionately bleak: “No continent will suffer from the consequences of climate change and Africa”, stated the UN environment programme (UNEP). In Africa, temperatures are forecast to be stronger than in other regions of the world. Droughts, Floods and cyclones could increase. The global temperature rise to two degrees will be according to UNEP, more than half of the people in Africa at risk of malnutrition.
the economic consequences will be enormous. In the past 30 years, most African countries have lost due to the climate change already a year, 10 to 15 percent growth of Per capita gross domestic product, as a study from the Potsdam Institute for climate impact shows research (PIK). Countries in which agriculture plays a big role, suffer, therefore, already economically the most and will do it in the future. “Most of the African economies are poorly adapted to their current climate conditions,” it says.
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little attention
Still, it is hard to get for your battle consideration, said Nakate, especially where the discourse of climate change, according to most, in Europe and North America. International media are only made by a poorly cropped photo, the 23-Year-old’s attention. At the world economic forum in Davos in January, the U.S. had far-news Agency AP Nakate from an image with Thunberg and other European Activists. By contrast, had argued the prize from and a lot of encouragement to get. However, the Hype and interest in your activism – has fizzled since. Markus Schreiber/AP/Reuters The Activists on Friday in Davos
In the home Nakate and their comrades-in-arms do not have it easier. The challenges are great, the Knowledge of climate change to be low. “People have so many other problems,” says Happy Khambule, an expert on climate and energy policy at Greenpeace. And yet most do not understand the connection between climate change and their daily problems such as the lack of access to clean water, or the locust plague in East Africa, which was reinforced by a lot of rain.
“The countries must react and you have to contribute to be”
Although African countries have little to global CO2 emissions, calls for Khambule more action by the governments on the continent. Climate change is like Covid-19: A Problem that could not be avoided. “The countries must react and you have to be tough” – away from industries based on fossil fuels; stronger measures to protect the populations against the climate change consequences. From the point of view of Khambule and Nakate, the Corona-crisis is a unique opportunity for this rethink.
But that must also happen in the population. “In the global North, there is a certain privilege,” said Nakate. Most people know what climate change is; the climate-bots chat of Thunberg and co. meet on fertile ground. Nakate, according to their own information, often of resistance, if you talk to people in their home country of Uganda. “Why don’t you take care of other problems?”, get you hear about. That’s why it’s Nakate with small steps: she goes to schools and talks to the younger Generation. She is an advocate for solar installations and energy-efficient Stoves. You organized in your home clean-up actions and talking with people. “We use a language to understand the people that we are in a crisis.”
Khambule believes, therefore, that the Greta model the climate would not actively work in Africa. “A movement around a cult of personality would do here is difficult,” says Greenpeace expert. The problems of the people are too different, than that a large message would have an effect. “The activism here has to appeal to a own approach”: no mass protests or Speeches in front of an audience of millions; to ensure targeted campaigns on the acute problems of the people. Maybe Africa needs so no Greta, but many, many Vanessa’s.
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