Nairobi, Kenya, 8-9 December 2022 – ‘’Climate change is the most crucial existential phenomenon that Africa, and indeed the world, is currently facing,” said Prince Rahim Aga Khan. He was delivering an address virtually, to an audience of distinguished guests gathered in Nairobi’s Karura Forest, during the opening of the Nation Media Group’s (NMG) fourth edition of the Kusi Ideas Festival: Climate Change: Exploring African Responses and Solutions.

“The continent has, in recent times, seen a multitude of natural disasters due to climate change, including floods, locust infestations, water scarcity and food insecurity.

Currently, some 40 million people in the Horn of Africa are facing famine as a result of the drought, which is robbing Africa, whose strength has always been her people and their resilience, of her most valuable resource… This Festival brings together some of the best minds in Africa to take this agenda forward and, most importantly, implement the ideas and solutions that will be discussed here.”

Africa continues to be amongst the worst hit by the consequences of climate change, despite having contributed the least to global warming and having the lowest emissions.

The impact of climate change in the years to come is dire. In addition to the extreme drought conditions which will see vast numbers of Africa’s population undernourished, temperatures are continuing to rise, sea levels are gaining 5mm a year, and coastal degradation and erosion are expected to worsen the situation. These changes will further encourage diseases such as dengue fever, malaria and yellow fever, as well as negatively impact several economies in Africa.

Exploring African responses and solutions

NMG dedicated this year’s Kusi Ideas Festival to this critical theme. The Festival brought together the best minds to explore solutions to the impact of the warming climate on the continent.

Panelists discussed issues including the differentiation between mitigation and adaptation strategies, the role of the private sector, financial solutions and how the 60 percent of Africa's population under the age of 25 could be mobilised to develop innovative responses. They explored the benefits of initiatives such as the Africa Adaptation, Acceleration Programme (AAAP), a joint initiative of the African Development Bank and the Global Center on Adaptation, which aims to mobilise $25 billion over five years to accelerate and scale climate adaptation action across the continent.

Prince Rahim highlighted the transformational work that the agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network were undertaking to meet the target of net zero carbon emissions by 2030. These efforts include, amongst others, the development of activity-specific tools to measure greenhouse gas emissions; Gold Eco-rating Certification of the Network’s Serena hotels, recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council; changing of agricultural practices for tens of thousands of farmers; working with rural communities to strengthen climate resilience; and introducing a new concept in schools known as “Play, Pluralism and Planet” to ensure the next generation of leaders are climate-aware, climate-empathetic and climate-resilient.

Hon. Roselinda Soipan Tuya, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, delivered the address of the President of the Republic of Kenya, His Excellency Dr William Samoei Ruto.

“Climate change is the social, political and economic issue of our time. It is going to define the future of Kenya, Africa, the globe and it is our collective responsibility to participate in shaping how the phenomenon will affect our future. This endeavour can only be achieved through collective action. We are living at a time when we must all be conservationists and must play a part in safeguarding our environment. We will not meet this challenge through top-down decrees, but bottom-up action.”

Exchanging ideas across Africa

NMG was established by His Highness the Aga Khan in 1959 during the struggle for independence. NMG created the Kusi Ideas Festival in 2019 as part of its 60^th anniversary celebrations, as a platform to examine Africa’s place in the world; its citizens’ problem-solving ideas and innovations; and preparations for the coming challenges. This advances its mission to be the “Media of Africa for Africa”, aiming to help position the continent as a leading player in global politics and economics.

The venue for the two-day festival was apt. Karura Forest is one of the last remaining local indigenous forests to provide a vital carbon sink for Nairobi's industrial activity. It also serves as an important water catchment area and has considerable relaxation and recreational value for Nairobi city dwellers. Previous festivals were held in Kigali, Rwanda, in 2019, Kisumu, Kenya, in 2020, and Accra, Ghana, in 2021.

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