The African Climate Summit, which opens Wednesday (October 18th) in Accra, Ghana, is an opportunity for non-governmental organizations working on the African continent to come together to highlight the continent's commitment in the fight against climate change. global warming. It is time to take stock after the International Summit of Heads of State on Climate, which met in New York in September. It is also time for joint action to move the lines of politics and the private sector.
Among the initiators of this African summit: Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, coordinator of the Association of indigenous Fulani women of Chad (Afpat).
How was this "Climate Chance" network created?
It was at a United Nations convention on the climate. I joined a working group to give the point of view of indigenous peoples. This group sought to involve more women, young people, because we have solutions to bring, based on our knowledge and experience. This was the first step towards inter-NGO coordination outside the States. And every year since 2015, conferences are organized, people join us. We ended up creating a network of NGOs called Climate Chance.
What happens in this type of summit?
I can meet an organization that is complementary to mine, exchange experiences, contacts, it maximizes our impacts. We seek to coordinate a common message that appeals not only to governments but also to the private sector. They are responsible for CO2 emissions and our misfortunes! Especially in the Sahel. If we are a lot, we can get the message across: there is no sustainable business without a sustainable environment.
Of course, we do not have the strength to compel governments or the private sector, but we can bring the voice of the people, put pressure. We are aware of legislation at the international, national and regional levels. We remind our governments that the decisions they make affect people. But with our means of civil society, we can change the lives of communities, African governments are able to do much more!
How to move a government like that of Chad?
The international level is very important. Take the Paris agreement, signed by all the countries of Lake Chad: Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria and Chad and even the Central African Republic. The difficulty now is to get it transcribed into national law. Political commitments are not strong enough. Or if governments start moving, funding ends in workshops and conferences in capitals. But we need real action at the local level, now.
We say we have 10 years to reverse the trajectory of 1.5 degrees. This trajectory has already been passed by us. In Chad, an increase of 4 to 5 degrees is expected! Already in the dry season, 48 degrees are recorded in the shade. It is already unbearable, it will be all the more. Hence the importance of taking action on the ground now. Communities must assert their dignity and rights for the restoration of their lands.
In the field, what are the concerns?
Climate change has direct consequences on natural resources: water, pasture and land. The seasons are changing. This rainy season is particularly unpredictable. It should be finished, but it rained yesterday, and a too late rain can flood the grounds and damage the harvests, especially since it is followed then by a great drought. We are suffering loss of farm income and food insecurity. Take Lake Chad: the waters have reduced by 90% in 40 years. As the water recedes, communities struggle to access the wet and fertile lands. Conflict must be alleviated.
In a perpetual crisis, climate, as around Lake Chad, the role of government is paramount. Not only the government of Chad, but those of all countries bordering the lake. The vulnerability of communities has increased, conflicts continue and armed groups are spreading terror. In my community, we are transhumant and transboundary depending on the season, we can cross the borders to settle in Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, and we return to Chad. Now people can no longer cross in Nigeria! And not even in Cameroon. Central Africa is the same. We stay between Niger and Chad. During the dry season, cattle usually graze in the small islets, now we can not cross to get there, we fear the armed groups. So everyone stays on the side of Chad, which means that the resources are insufficient and conflicts are accentuated between the communities.
But we must not only take security and military measures at the G7 Sahel! It is not a Kalashnikov that will fill the belly of people and distribute natural resources. We must listen to the communities and their needs. The problem today is Chadian legislation on land distribution. Access to land is very difficult for people who can not buy land because they are not rich enough. Soldiers are grabbing land around the lake: generals, colonels, ministers can buy land that should be returned to communities. The political decision should give the communities back their right to the land, to ensure their survival.