Research Theme Lead at the Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience of the University of Cape Coast, Dr. Samuel Agblorti says about 87 million people will be displaced in sub-Saharan Africa, a background to issues of mobility and forced displacements.
He notes that climate mobility is the movement of people due to the rise of sea levels, storms, droughts, and other impacts related to environmental and climate change.
“How the activities that we conduct can be extended beyond the period within which we are doing them, how our human activities impact on the environment… These are the key issues that we’re talking about” he continued.
Citing the World Bank report titled The Groundswell, Dr. Agblorti explained that it indicates how climate mobility will look in the next 50 years.
As stated in the report, “By 2050, Sub-Saharan Africa could see as many as 86 million internal climate migrants; East Asia and the Pacific, 49 million; South Asia, 40 million; North Africa, 19 million; Latin America, 17 million; and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, 5 million.”
This Groundswell report “is a stark reminder of the human toll of climate change, particularly on the world’s poorest—those who are contributing the least to its causes. It also clearly lays out a path for countries to address some of the key factors that are causing climate-driven migration,”
Vice President of Sustainable Development, World Bank Juergen Voegele, maintains that these issues are fundamentally connected as such the “World Bank’s support to countries is positioned to deliver on climate and development objectives together while building a more sustainable, safe and resilient future.”
Dr. Agblorti emphasizes there is a need to reduce the impact of human activities on the environment.
He spoke to ATL FM NEWS ahead of a webinar on the state of climate mobility in Africa under the disaster risk reduction and mitigation thematic area as part of the Centre’s 10th Anniversary celebration of the Centre for Coastal Management at the University of Cape Coast.
According to him the theme for the anniversary: “celebrating a decade of impactful research and capacity building towards sustainable and resilience of Africa’s hostile and marine environment” seeks to address issues of sustainability and why there is a need to encourage it.
Dr. Ablorti explained that although there are other reasons for migration, climate variation is now the basis for forced displacement.
He further said people who are being displayed because of climate conditions are not covered by any global convention and therefore cannot get any assistance from any government officially.
“That is why issues of climate mobility are being put at the front burner now that we can begin to look at it and see ways through which climate change is affecting poorer countries than the developed ones.”
The Centre for Coastal Management achieved the status of Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience in 2019.
The Centre engages in research, outreaches, and offers skills training within the coastal areas to help improve resource management for sustainability.
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Source: Mercy Amanqanoah/ATLMNEWS
