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Sifelani Tsiko Agric, Environment & Innovations Editor

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down To Earth magazine, in association with Media for Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture (MESHA) will release the first edition of the State of Africa’s Environment Report 2023 this week in Nairobi ahead of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) annual Conference of Parties (COP) 28 in Dubai next month.

The report is expected to highlight the environmental challenges facing the African continent, presenting comprehensive data, analysis, and recommendations that will contribute to informed decision-making in the region at the climate change conference.

This report will be released at a time when African countries are looking for strategies to advance their climate agendas and push for stronger global action on climate change.

Renowned environmental activist and writer Sunita Narain, who heads CSE and is a member of the COP28 UAE Advisory Committee, will present at the launch.

CSE said the release function will be followed by a two-day media briefing on some of the key aspects that the report covers.

Published by the New Delhi-based fortnightly, Down To Earth, this report will be an annual feature from now into the future.

More than 100 researchers and journalists from across the continent contributed to development of the report which covers various topical issues such as climate, biodiversity, land and agriculture, mobility, energy, health, water and waste.

The “State of Africa’s Environment Report 2023” promises to be a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and journalists interested in the environment and sustainability.

The UAE will host the 28th United Nations global climate talks from 30 November to 12 December 2023.

Africa is one of the most vulnerable continents to the impacts of climate change, from droughts and floods to heatwaves and other extreme weather events.

Many African countries are already experiencing the devastating consequences of global warming, including crop failures, water shortages, and displacement of people from their homes and livelihoods.

The launch is part of The Africa Network Media Cafe, a new initiative under the partnership of MESHA and CSE designed for a series of media briefings on some of the most critical and current survival questions that are dogging the Global South.