{"id":19931,"date":"2016-04-27T13:42:10","date_gmt":"2016-04-27T17:42:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/fass\/?p=19931"},"modified":"2024-08-09T07:42:22","modified_gmt":"2024-08-09T11:42:22","slug":"africa-conference-carleton-university-looks-climate-change-environmental-sustainability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/fass\/2016\/africa-conference-carleton-university-looks-climate-change-environmental-sustainability\/","title":{"rendered":"Of Africa: CU Conference Looks at Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Of Africa: CU Conference Looks at Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability\n <\/h1>\n \n \n <\/header>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

Of Africa: Conference at Carleton University Looks at Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability<\/strong>, By Yiagadeesen Samy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please RSVP for this conference<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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On May 4th, the Institute of African Studies (IAS) at Carleton University, in conjunction with the Group of African Heads of Mission in Ottawa, will organize a one-day conference entitled \u201cFrom Climate Change to Environmental Sustainability: Challenges and Opportunities for Africa and Canada.<\/a>\u201d This is the second edition of this annual conference; the first one, held on March 12th<\/sup> 2015, examined the African Union\u2019s Agenda 2063.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, two other academic units at Carleton University \u2014 the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs and the Bachelor of Global and International Studies<\/a> \u2014 have teamed up with IAS and the African Ambassadors in Ottawa to sponsor the conference. Also on the team of conference sponsors are the Ottawa-based think-tank, Africa Study Group, and the Pan-African Affairs Division of Global Affairs Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The theme of this year\u2019s conference could not be timelier as it comes right after a number of events and commitments related to sustainable development in the previous year. Indeed, future historians may one day look back at 2015 as a major turning point for our collective future.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Sustainability is at once a crucial challenge and the key to the future. We must bring together across continents and oceans, our best efforts and brightest minds. Together we can create a context where all are included and respected, where entrepreneurial activities that support the environment flourish and allow us to envisage the elimination of poverty. This conference is timely, essential and offers the context for essential and critical discussion. \u2013 Roseann O\u2019Reilly Runte<\/strong>, President and Vice-Chancellor of Carleton University.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The Third International Conference on Financing for Development was held in Addis Ababa in July but as I have argued elsewhere, the outcome document of the Addis Ababa Agenda was a disappointment. The United Nations General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in September 2015. Goal 13 is about taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. Finally, the Paris Agreement on climate change was adopted in December 2015, with a commitment to hold the increase in the global average temperature well below 2o <\/sup>C above pre-industrial levels. At the time of writing, it is expected that more than 150 countries will sign the Agreement \u2014 due to enter into force in 2020 \u2014 on Earth Day on April 22nd<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These recent events have major implications for the African continent and its ability to maintain the growth momentum of the past few years. Despite a decade and a half of decent economic growth, poverty remains stubbornly high in Africa and several other development challenges continue to affect many African countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is well known that Africa is the continent most vulnerable to climate change and also the least able to adapt to it. The impacts of climate change are expected to be wide ranging, environmental of course, but also economic, social and political. Some of these are already happening. Consider as an example the case of Ethiopia, which has seen an increase in its annual minimum temperature in every decade since the 1950s, and which is currently facing its worse drought in decades. In a country where most people\u2019s livelihoods depend on agriculture, even small variations in weather patterns are severely affecting the already poor and vulnerable communities, including women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As another example, Pius Adesanmi<\/a>, Professor of English and Director of Carleton University\u2019s Institute of African Studies<\/a>, opines that \u201cthe implications of climate change on politics, governance, and democracy are severe in my home country, Nigeria. This is not always evident because the linkages and connections are rarely made. Pastoral herdsmen of the Fulani ethnic stock have been on a killing rampage all over Nigeria in recent times. As climate change occasions or worsens deforestation in northern Nigeria, the pastoral herdsmen literally look for greener pastures in the farmlands of southern Nigeria, destroying the agricultural base of the south. Clashes are inevitable. Thousands of people have been killed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Africa\u2019s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions is very low when compared to developed countries and other large emitters such as China and India. In fact, the paradox of climate change is that the ones who did the least to cause it \u2014 the poor and vulnerable, many of whom are in Africa \u2014 will be the most severely affected by it. For them, being able to adapt to climate change is a matter of survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Africa\u2019s funding gap for climate mitigation and adaptation will require significant international cooperation. Although mobilizing more resources domestically is important, this will be insufficient. In November of last year, and just a few days before the Paris meeting, the Government of Canada announced that it would contribute $2.65 billion over the next five years to help developing countries deal with climate change. However, the modalities of Canadian partnership and intervention for climate change and environmental sustainability, both broadly and in Africa specifically, have yet to be clearly articulated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The IAS conference of May 4th<\/sup> offers a collaborative platform for academics, diplomats, and environmental activists to examine the challenges of environmental sustainability in Africa, the impact of climate change on women, and the appropriate policy responses to the challenges of climate change both at the domestic and global levels, including the role that Canada can play in building climate resilience in Africa. For Nadia Ahmad, Director of Pan-Africa Affairs, Global Affairs Canada, the conference \u201cprovides an opportunity to explore possible collaboration between Canada and Africa in combatting climate change, in particular in the areas of supporting innovation and women\u2019s empowerment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking in the same vein, Dr. Rosean Runte<\/a>, President of Carleton University, sums up the University\u2019s expectations of the conference: \u201cSustainability is at once a crucial challenge and the key to the future. We must bring together across continents and oceans, our best efforts and brightest minds. Together we can create a context where all are included and respected, where entrepreneurial activities that support the environment flourish and allow us to envisage the elimination of poverty. This conference is timely, essential and offers the context for essential and critical discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yiagadeesen Samy<\/a> is an Associate Professor of International Affairs at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University, Ottawa.  <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conference Program<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"From
From Climate Change to Environmental Sustainability: Challenges and Opportunities for Africa and Canada<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

RSVP<\/strong>: www.2016IASConference.eventbrite.ca<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2016 Conference<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Institute of African Studies and  The Group of African Heads of Mission in Ottawa<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In conjunction with
\n&
\n(NPSIA, BGINS, ASG, Pan-Africa Affairs Division, GAC)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Present:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Climate Change to Environmental Sustainability:
\n<\/strong>Challenges and Opportunities for Africa and Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wednesday, 4 May 2016
\n8:30a.m.- 4:30p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  Room 2220-2228 River Building
\nCarleton University, Ottawa<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Panels<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Panel 1: Assessing the Effects of Climate Change in Africa: The Unique Impact on Women<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Panel 2: Supporting African Innovation: Renewable Energy, Agriculture and Women\u2019s Empowerment<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Panel 3: Strengthening Canada-Africa Partnerships: Policy Solutions to Building Climate Resilience<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For complete conference programme<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To view conference poster<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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