By Ben Musanje
Climate experts are calling for urgent action to ensure that the $250 million earmarked for climate loss-and-damage reaches the African communities most affected by extreme weather events, warning that delays disproportionately harm women and girls.
Imali Ngusale, lead strategist at the African Center for Health, Climate & Gender Justice Alliance (ACHCGA) and Kenyan youth climate activist, highlighted the devastating effects of the 2024 flash floods, which swept across countries including Nigeria, Chad, and the Central African Republic. She revealed that over 158 million women were impacted and more than 2,500 people died. “These disasters have upended lives, especially for women who are caregivers, breadwinners, and leaders in their communities,” Ngusale said.
Ngusale noted that climate change does not affect everyone equally. “Women face compounded challenges—loss of livelihoods, disrupted food security, adolescent pregnancies, school dropouts, and even gender-based violence and femicide,” she explained. She pointed to rising cases of women seeking digital livelihoods, only to face exploitation and harm, linking these social consequences directly to climate-induced economic pressures.
While $250 million was released as part of COP30 agreements, Ngusale stressed that many communities are still unaware of how to access the funds. “Rapid disbursement is critical. These resources must reach the local level immediately to restore livelihoods, protect health, and rebuild resilience,” she said. She urged governments to establish dedicated forums of loss-and-damage experts and streamline the application process through mechanisms like the Barbados Implementation Modality (BIM), ensuring funds are accessible to those most affected.
Ngusale also emphasized the need for a gender-responsive approach to climate funding. She advocated for recognition of both economic and non-economic losses, including destroyed farms, gravesites, and cultural spaces, and the health impacts that cannot easily be quantified.
The ACHCGA strategist highlighted the intersection of climate change, health, and socio-economic pressures, noting the importance of linking local adaptation efforts to global climate finance and policy frameworks. “Developing countries have been adapting for decades. Loss-and-damage funding is their right, especially when they have contributed minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions,” she said.
The call came during an online cross-border science café for African journalists, attended by over 100 participants from Uganda, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, and South Africa, under the topic: AMSCC: Consortium Science Café on Gender, Health, and Climate Change.
Ngusale concluded by urging media, civil society, and policymakers to amplify women’s voices in the climate finance process. “The funds are only meaningful if they translate into real change on the ground. Women must be at the center of adaptation, mitigation, and compensation efforts,” she emphasized. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
