To combat climate change, address other environmental issues, and take care of mother earth, grassroots communities need assistance with resources and energy.
To combat climate change, address other environmental issues, and take care of mother earth, grassroots communities need assistance with resources and energy. The executive director of the African Coalition of Communities Responsive to Climate Change (ACCRCC), Dr. Roselid Nkirote, noted that Earth Day 2023 will increase awareness of the need to take action to protect the only planet humanity has.
In an effort to restore degraded lands, Dr. Nkirote urged grassroots communities in the east and horn of Africa to launch extensive tree-planting campaigns now that the region is receiving rainfall.
She pointed out that the area could benefit from the persistent rain to guard against the crippling effects of the drought experienced over the previous two years. “Let me use this Earth Day in 2023 to encourage our communities to use the rains to repair the landscape that has been severely damaged. We recently experienced a very severe drought that had a negative impact on livelihoods, she said.
She praised a number of climate initiatives made by the East and Horn of Africa’s governments. For instance, the government of Kenya has started a campaign to plant 15 billion trees over the course of the next year, and the government of Uganda is in the process of delegating climate action to the local level.
In an effort to lessen the effects of climate change, the Tanzanian government plans to make significant investments in technology to enhance water harvesting.
The majority of pastoralists’ home regions were affected by the drought, which forced hundreds of thousands of people to leave their homes in search of water and pasture for their animals. These areas naturally receive below-average rains and poor pasture.
In its most recent report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned of worse outcomes if urgent measures, such as restoring the ability of the earth to store carbon, are not taken to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Earth Day is celebrated every year on April 22. It is a day of awareness-building for environmental issues and the advancement of sustainable lifestyles. The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970, and it is now celebrated in more than 190 nations worldwide.
The main goal of Earth Day, according to the UN, is to motivate people to take action to safeguard the planet and its natural resources.
According to the UN, “this can be accomplished through various activities like planting trees, picking up litter, and reducing energy consumption.” Events commemorating Earth Day provide people and organisations with a platform to promote environmental legislation and declare their commitment to sustainability.
The establishment of laws and regulations aimed at protecting the environment has been aided by Earth Day, which has been instrumental in increasing public awareness of environmental issues. It serves as a reminder that everyone has a responsibility to protect the environment for coming generations.