Climate Change

WEST AFRICA

WHY CLIMATE CHANGE IN AFRICA IS SO IMPORTANT TO US

Climate change affects us all, but for those living in already poverty-stricken communities, these effects are even more brutal. The most vulnerable are also, unfortunately, the hardest hit, and without proper resources, finances, and training, they have little hope of survival as the effects of climate change worsen with each passing year. Climate change knows no boundaries, and due to the interconnectedness of the ecosystem, the effects of pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and drought from one country impact every country. As a global society, it is, therefore, necessary for all of us to address climate change and implement ways to mitigate the impacts of global warming activities.

Climate change initiatives in Africa are few and far between for numerous reasons. Most of the African countries that submitted plans in Paris rely on partial or complete international funding. As climate finance has been slow, it is becoming increasingly unrealistic for Africa to deliver their climate plans. 

Many of their big cities are plagued with poverty, bad infrastructure, overpopulation, conflict, and dysfunctional governance.  These challenges become nearly insurmountable as they try to implement and build from scratch a stable green energy system that will further their capacity to achieve the goals of lowering their carbon output. However, the Paris Agreement does provide an opportunity to accelerate socio-economic growth and develop a policy framework and operational paths to sustainable development if the international community properly supports them. Knowing this, we at ERI have been actively working to mitigate the effects of climate change through our many programs worldwide.

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  ARCC FLYER 96002022021 Copy     

Registration to attend the ARCC Forum 2021 is now open: Register  

About the ARCC Virtual Free Forum (April 19th - April 23rd, 2021)

ARCC 2021 inaugurates a 5-year commitment to building bridges between the US climate change movement, African Diaspora, and Africans addressing climate change emergency action. This event will include multiple UCLA schools and departments and provide the opportunity to meet some of the most notable Africans on the continent and in the Diaspora engaged in climate change. This platform will help develop strong public/private partnerships between the US and Africa, united in seeking climate solutions and implementing the UN SDGs. The ARCC Forum will assemble interdisciplinary panels of scholars, scientists, industry leaders, climate change innovators, youth activists, and dignitaries to build on African initiatives in these key areas: sustainable agriculture, energy, water use, wetland restoration, biofuel development, entrepreneurship, awareness building, engineering, and ecovillage development.

 Purpose and Goals

An opportunity for the US and climate change leaders to accelerate ambitious solutions and build stronger global partnerships. ARCC 2021 inaugurates a 5-year commitment for climate change emergency action between Africa and the US to solve some of the most pressing challenges of the climate crisis.

The general goal of the forum is to develop an integrated vision of “Green Development” in Africa that is both ecologically and economically sustainable, emphasizing local solutions to climate change developed by African stakeholders in urban and rural environments. Key contributors will identify priorities for research and implementation, and collaboratively develop an action plan for the future. 

The five-day international ARCC Forum will be a virtual event serving a broad audience within the UC system and throughout the climate change community. The event provides a unique opportunity to support African-designed programs that incorporate best practices in sustainable development and are guided by the needs of both communities and governments. In addition to panel discussions on topics ranging from Climate Readiness Infrastructure to Ecovillage/Eco-City Development, we will offer Design Thinking jam sessions, Climate Solutions Networking Gallery, and opportunities to connect with leaders in the global climate change movement. 

 

Keynote speakers image 1     More about Nnimmo Bassey              More about Ousmane Pame                   More about Sidique Wai                  More about Elizabeth Wathuti

PROGRAM

All times are posted as PST

MONDAY APRIL 19TH 
(9 AM) WELCOME & OPENING REMARKS with Andrew Apter is the Director of the James S. Coleman African Studies Center and Professor in the Departments of History and Anthropology at UCLA -  Annie de la Bouillerie Goeke is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Earth Rights Institute.

 (9:15-10 AM) KEYNOTE 1 and Q&A: “Mobilizing African Youth for Climate Action and Conservation,” with Elizabeth Wathuti (Kenya), Founder of Green Generation Initiative and Head of Campaigns at Wangari Mathai Foundation.

(10:15-11:45 AM) PANEL 1: Youth Leadership

Student Presentations Moderated by Nurit Katz, UCLA Chief Sustainability Officer

 (12-2 PM) NETWORKING EVENT

Organized by UCLA Bruin Home Solutions Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Lab

 TUESDAY APRIL 20TH 
(9-10 AM) KEYNOTE 2 and Q&A: “Leveraging Technology for Environmental Rights and Justice,” with Nnimmo Bassey (Nigeria), Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation, 2010 Right Livelihood Laureate and one of Time magazine's “Heroes of the Environment”.

 (10:15-11:45AM) PANEL 2: Indigenous Environmental Knowledges

(12-1:30 PM) PANEL 3: Energy, Water, Climate—Clean & Regenerative Infrastructures

(3-5 PM) INTERACTIVE STUDENT WORKSHOP: DESIGN THINKING JAM SESSION

120 Minutes to Change the World. Are you in?  A fun, virtual, highly interactive, fast-paced workshop led by John Ayers

**Please note that this session is only for students. Participants do not have to be UCLA students. Special registration is required: please fill out this form if you are a high school or college student and would like to participate. **

WEDNESDAY APRIL 21ST
(9-10AM) KEYNOTE 3 and Q&A: “Climate Refugees and Regenerative Communities,” with Ousmane Aly Pame (Senegal)

President of Global Ecovillage Network Africa and Founder and President of Network for Ecovillage Emergence and Development in the Sahel.

 (10:15-11:45AM) PANEL 4: Climate Refugees and Precarious Lives and Livelihoods

 THURSDAY APRIL 22ND EARTH DAY
(9-10:30AM) JOURNEYS: EXCHANGING STORIES - What inspired our keynote speakers to embark on their careers as environmental justice and climate change champions? Join us to learn more about their stories and share yours in this informal conversation.

 FRIDAY APRIL 23RD
(9-10AM) KEYNOTE 4 and Q&A: “Emerging Economic Opportunities for a Green Africa,” with His Excellency Ambassador Sidique Abou-Bakarr Wai (Sierra Leone) Ambassador to the United States.

 (10:15-11:45AM) PANEL 4: Business, Politics, and Culture—The Climate Action Ecosystem

(11:45AM-12:15PM) CLOSING REMARKS AND THE PATH FORWARD

 Articles based on interviews with Keynote Speakers by our ERI intern team:

 1              1 ARCC Ousmane Pame Article JPEG              Sidique article              Elizabeth Article

Article on Nnimmo Bassey                          Article on Ousmane Pame                          Article on Sidique Wai                               Article on Elizabeth Wathuti

by Boyce Buchanan, UC Berkeley                                 by Boyce Buchanan, UC Berkeley                               by William Saturno, Tufts University                          by Alia Elyas, UCLA 
Global Studies/English Undergraduate                       Global Studies/English Undergraduate                     Master's Candidate, The Fletcher School                 Political Science Undergraduate
 
 

Video teasers from our Keynote Speakers: view on YouTube

 
 
 

ARCC Co sponsors  

Registration to attend the ARCC Forum 2021 is now open: Register

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Cocody, Ivory Coast

Eco-City Initiative for Cocody

In cooperation with the Government of Côte d'Ivoire, ERI's Professor Toure (head of ERI West Africa's office) is working directly with the City of Cocody and its Mayor, Mr. N'GOAN Aka Mathias, to create the first West African eco-city. This city will be fueled by clean green energy and use carbon sequestration projects to reduce CO2 emissions by 28% by 2030.

To achieve this objective (which is an integral part of the strategic plans and priority objectives of the Ivorian Government), the United Nations and the African Union - in tandem with ERI - are targeting the City of Cocody in Abijdan to be the pilot city for building and implementing an Eco-City initiative, entitled "Cocody Cité Verte, Carbon well of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire and Africa …." 

This pilot city will serve as a business plan and model for addressing climate change and sustainability, and will eventually convert all 13 municipalities in the District of Abidjan and other the cities of Côte d'Ivoire and West Africa into eco-cities.

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Carbon Sequestration - One of Many Tools in ERI's Climate Change Programs

Climate Change Initiative for Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali

Since 2009, Earth Rights Institute's West Africa Office, under the direction of Professor Dramane Toure Nable, has been working on climate change projects to address the challenges faced in the northern region of the Ivory Coast as well in Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali. As part of the Climate Change Initiative for Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali (which all 4 nations approved), we are introducing several projects specifically geared towards carbon sequestration. 

About Earth Rights Institute

The Earth is the birthright of all people

Earth Rights Institute (ERI) is designed to be an equilateral knowledge platform, where local people collaborate with academics and development professionals, both local and foreign, by exchanging skills, experiences, and knowledge to solve crucial development issues such as widespread poverty, land right disputes and environmental degradation.

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29 January 2018

 

 

 

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