Nairobi — She may not be from central Africa, but 17-year-old Makenna Muigai would like African leaders to rally their political muscle to save the endangered Congo Basin – for a good reason.
As the world’s second largest rain forest supports over 80 million people in the region, the young Kenyan climate activist is concerned that the scramble for its resources is one of the leading causes of conflicts in central and eastern Africa.
Fellow climate activist Vanessa Nakate from Uganda highlighted the devastating fires in the Congo Basin with her one-person protests on the streets of Kampala started in early 2019. Nakate’s demonstrations have led to her attending UN Climate Change Conference (COP25) and the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting, and her Rise Up Movement spread to several countries on the continent. She no longer protests alone.
Muigai says the pressures facing the Congo Basin are worsened by climate change and corruption, even as the World Resources Institute reported in 2019 that its continued disappearance could exacerbate insecurity over fresh water and food supplies among the most vulnerable populations.
“There are many conflicts that could arise from climate change and when we do not take care of our environment. There could be higher rates of death, higher chances of getting ill and worsening food insecurity due to unforeseen calamities like the locust invasion in eastern Africa,” said Muigai. Read more…
