Farm Radio International’s four-week discussion on Nature-based Solutions is ongoing. The first week focused on climate change issues in different localities, with 149 active participants from Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, The Gambia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Climate change, driven by human activities like deforestation and charcoal burning, is a significant issue in African countries. These countries face challenges including flooding, drought, rising temperatures, desertification, deforestation, and water scarcity, which impact food security, water resources, crop cycles, biodiversity, and infrastructure. For instance, reduced water levels in fishing communities cut fishermen’s income, while deforestation reduces rainfall, worsening poverty. Heavy rains and droughts also threaten agricultural productivity, and coastal areas face risks from rising sea levels and intensified storms.
Dr. Adane Kebede, a Nature-based Solutions (NbS) specialist, explains that sub-Saharan Africa will face increasing stress from climate change, with rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and more extreme weather endangering food and water supplies, ecosystems, human health, and socio-economic development. Though impacts vary, countries share many climate challenges, and each has adaptation strategies, policies, and programs.
Adaptation strategies include sustainable agriculture, efficient water management, coastal protection, urban planning, biodiversity conservation, renewable energy, public transit, community engagement, and research investment. Locally-based solutions are essential, as demonstrated by these examples from participants:
- Nigeria: “In Adamawa State, farmers face threats from lack of rain, flooding, and soil erosion. They have had to migrate to abandoned sugarcane farms, switch crops to rice, and use canals as water sources. They have adopted innovative solutions, such as drilling boreholes and using pumping machines, but often rely on loans to finance these costs. Governments can support farmers by providing farm implements or making acquisitions more affordable, which would improve livelihoods.” – Nokai Origin, Nigeria
- Zambia: “In Choma, climate change mitigation strategies focus on sustainable land management, community engagement, and agroforestry.” – Munzabwa Melvin Makani, Zambia
- Ethiopia: “Heavy rains during the rainy season often lead to flash floods, which damage homes and agricultural land and increase health risks from waterborne diseases. Sustainable land management and community preparedness help mitigate these impacts, though expanding large farms has led to increased deforestation and concerns about drought.” – Oliyad Bedane, Ethiopia
- Zimbabwe: “The main strategy against climate change is education on conservation farming, with many NGOs working on this. However, resistance among rural farmers has hindered progress.” – Danis Ngwenya, Zimbabwe
- Kenya: “To address climate change challenges, the government is undertaking a tree-planting campaign, targeting 15 billion trees by 2030, and has banned illegal charcoal burning in favor of solar energy.” – Jackon Kilonzo, Kenya
- Ghana: “In northern Ghana, shifting weather patterns have led to drought, with pests affecting some crops. High temperatures and low humidity also cause soil moisture loss through evaporation. Farmers are encouraged to adopt climate-smart practices to build resilience and ensure sustainable production.” – Abraham Appiah, Ghana
- Ghana: “Climate change is not new to us. When it became a global issue, we were already experiencing changes in farming. Our forefathers used Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK) to address these challenges. If we applied their pest and disease control, water and soil management, and biodiversity conservation methods, we would recognize that they practiced what we now call climate-smart agriculture.” – Frank Kofi Osei, Ghana
- Ethiopia: “One way to cope with irregular rainfall is to adjust the planting calendar to use available moisture, with guidance from extension workers. But there is no universal solution.” – Dr. Adane Kebede, Ethiopia
The discussion continues. Week 2 focused on biodiversity, and this week participants will explore what Nature-based Solutions are—and what they are not.