Earth Day is a reminder of our duty to nature

Every year, the world commemorates Earth Day, social media floods with hashtags and images of people planting trees, often just for the cameras, to remind us of our shared duty to protect the planet. Yet in Africa, the day often goes unnoticed, despite the continent bearing the brunt of the climate crisis.

Though Earth Day began in the U.S. over 50 years ago, its message is more relevant to Africa now than ever. Earlier this week, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) renewed its call for urgent climate action, warning: “The world is in a climate emergency. Unless greenhouse gas emissions fall dramatically, warming could exceed 2.9°C this century, with catastrophic consequences for life on Earth.”

The UN also puts the number of those who risk acute hunger at 20 million people in the Horn of Africa alone. This was the case in 2023, too. Besides, at least 1.4 million people in Somalia are displaced, primarily due to a lack of food and water. This same continent grapples with plastic pollution. An example is Nairobi, with an estimated 500 tonnes of plastic waste generated daily, and only a little bit of it recycled, while the rest is consumed by animals, soil, and drainage systems. The 2017 ban on single-use plastic bags is not enough. More alternatives, awareness, and serious enforcement would do.

The African Development Bank has indicated that by 2030, Africa will be losing up to 15 per cent of its GDP to climate change. As of 2023, several global entities estimated Africa’s GDP at $3.1 trillion. Even if this figure were to grow to only $4 trillion by 2030, losing 15 percent would mean $600 billion annually, from climate change alone. This would also mean loss of livelihoods, and over-reliance on imports to balance an inevitable food security. This would stagnate development, including infrastructure, becoming the unbearable cost of inaction.

For Africa, Earth Day should act as a catalyst for awareness and action. Even victims must think of best ways out of existing climate related challenges, and how to increase resilience. This includes demanding climate justice. This year’s Earth Day theme is “Our Power, Our Planet.” Simply put, everyone has a role to play to change the situation we are in, for the better.

Granted, many individuals and groups are tackling the climate emergency from several angles. Their roles in making change must continually be celebrated as a means to amplify great initiatives and promote public education on climate change and action.

Margaret Kababu, a Doctor of Philosophy in Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture at ICIPE just called for inclusion of insects in the local food varieties, as a source of proteins. On this Earth Day, how can we be enlightened to explore such solutions, even as we focus on climate-smart investments in local food systems?

Earth Day must be used to highlight opportunities available for the more than 60 percent of Africa’s population aged below 25. How do we harness the youth’s usefulness as some of the biggest climate assets? These change makers must be supported to give their best.

Once again, Earth Day is not just a ceremonial event, but a reminder that we can strategise better and tackle looming climate crises. All these need support, beyond tree planting and hash tags. Offer to train youth in climate-smart farming. Strengthen or change policies to increase protection of forests, rivers, and coastlines. Give Africans more platforms to tell their climate stories.

Earth Day is an African responsibility, too. We are not just spectators, because when the earth suffers, Africa bleeds.