Ken B. Johm
Manager, Natural Resources and Environment
Management Division
African Development Bank
Seventh Session of the Committee on Food Security and Sustainable Development
&
The Experts Segment of the Africa Regional Preparatory Conference for the United Nations
Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20)
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
 Objectives and approach
 Key messages
 New and Emerging Challenges
 Issues, Challenges, Actions taken
 Opportunities
 Recommendations
OBJECTIVES AND APPROACH
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Synopsis on New and Emerging Challenges
The intent is to highlight
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Challenges and opportunities
Avenues to address challenges and harness
opportunities presented by challenges
Basis: global literature; will be complemented by
detailed regional reports
NEW AND EMERGING CHALLENGES
The new and emerging challenges addressed are:
 Biodiversity and ecosystem loss,
 Climate change,
 Water scarcity,
 Food crisis,
 Desertification,
 Energy crisis,
 Youth unemployment and
 Financial and economic crises
KEY MESSAGES
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Mixed progress towards achieving sustainable
development goals within the context of poverty
reduction.
Some progress areas:
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Biodiversity protection
Combating desertification
Access to improved water sources
Agricultural production
Education
Emerging challenges - climate change, water scarcity,
and the food, economic and financial crises - slowing
down rate of progress
KEY MESSAGES
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Additional resources are required to meet
targets
Coordinated and harmonized approaches are
necessary to focus efforts and avoid duplication
Integrated approaches and leveraging
opportunities across sectors
Commitment needs to be reaffirmed
Capacity is needed at various levels
Effective monitoring of progress and sharing of
experiences are essential
BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEMS LOSS
TARGET:
 Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant
reduction in the rate of loss
STATUS:

Expanding agriculture

Clearing of forests for fuel and agriculture

Loss of wetland ecosystems (e.g. large systems
 Lake Chad and Inner Niger Delta: loss > 80%
ACHIEVEMENTS:
 Increased protected areas

14% land area in Eastern and southern Africa protected;10%
in Central and West Africa; and 7% land area in North Africa
 Increasing use of ESIAs
 More than 90% of African countries have NBSAPs
BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEMS LOSS
CHALLENGES
OPPORTUNITIES
 Failure to achieve targets
 Integrated approaches
 Adverse effects of Climate
 Green Economy strategy
change on habitats
 Failure to integrate
biodiversity with other
sectors
 Identifying and exploiting
key inter-linkages e.g. with
climate change, water and
agriculture
 CC adaptation and
mitigation programs
WATER SCARCITY
STATUS:
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Mixed progress
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Access to safe water remains < 60% in over 20 countries with
deterioration of access levels in 20 countries

Low level of water resources development and infrastructure
limitations
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Average per capita storage <100m3/yr compared to >1, 000m3/yr in
developed countries.
Increasing (physical and economic) water scarcity
ACHIEVEMENTS:
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>90% access in more than 13% African countries
More than 15% of African countries achieved MDG1 by 2008
Promotion of integrated water resources development and river basin /
watershed management plans
Water and Sanitation Trust Fund established
Water for African Cities Programme addressing urban water crisis
Facilitation of IWRM by the GWP; by 2006, over 70% African countries
implementing IWRM plans
WATER SCARCITY
 Economic water scarcity in SSA –
need resources to develop
infrastructure
18.6%
0.3%
0.8%
57.2%
9.6%
 Many competing uses
4.5%
 Agricultural is largest user (e.g. South
Africa)
8.9%
Irrigation
Mining & Industrial
Transfers out
Urban
Power
Rural
Afforestation
WATER SCARCITY
CHALLENGES:
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Water resources management
Potential adverse impact of
Climate change on water quantity
and quality
Water quality degradation due to
anthropogenic effects and
industrial activities such as
mining
Weak and fragmented
institutions
Poor technical and financial
capacity
Inadequate political and financial
support.
Effective integration /
harmonization with other sectors
OPPORTUNITIES
 Relevance of water interventions
for other sectors (energy,
agriculture, environment)
 Relevance for delivery of MDGs
 Inter-linkages with other sectors
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Energy
Climate change adaptation
measures
Agriculture
Biodiversity
FOOD CRISIS
 STATUS:
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
Mixed results for MDG1: some progress, but more work ahead
Highest under-nourishment among all regions
Nearly 240 million people in SSA undernourished
Increasing proportion of undernourishment in other
countries
Food crisis slowing down progress for MDG1
ACHIEVEMENTS
 Achievement of MG1 by some - the Congo, Ghana, Mali, and
Nigeria
 Considerable progress in others – e.g. Mozambique
FOOD CRISIS: Achievements
Increased yields and agricultural growth through
increased investments in agricultural R&D
16000
1600
12000
1200
8000
800
4000
400
0
0
1971
1981
1991
agriculture R&D spending
2001
2008
Total FTE researchers
FTE Researchers
Total spending (million PPP $)
2000
INCREASING AGRICULTURAL GROWTH
Several countries have passed target; others making progress
FOOD CRISIS
CHALLENGES
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Persistent high food prices
Market weaknesses
Low productivity and water
efficiency
Adverse impact of Climate
change on crop yields
Increasing water scarcity
Global economic and
financial crises
New challenges
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competition for land and
water resources
Trade-offs between cash
and food crops
Emerging land dynamics
OPPORTUNITIES
Commercial agriculture and
improved farming systems
 Capacity building as medium
to long term response
 Broader opportunities from
investments in water
infrastructure

ENERGY: Electrification rate
STATUS:
 Low rate of electrification in SSA.
 High dependence on charcoal and wood for cooking, heating
water, and heating homes ￫ a threat to forest resources
Africa
North Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
electrification rate (%)
120
80
40
0
Overall
Urban
Rural
ENERGY: Some Actions
 Formulation of the Programme for Infrastructure
Development in Africa (PIDA)
 Investments in hydropower –
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Inga hydropower plant in the DRC; capacity of 39,000 MW and
potential for regional interconnected electricity network
Bujagali power plant in Uganda
Itezhi-tezhi hydropower plant in Zambia, a PPP project
 Regional urban and peri-urban electrification in the EAC
 Investments in solar and wind energy – South Africa,
Kenya, Egypt, Cape Verde and the Sahel
ENERGY
CHALLENGES
 Energy security
 Access to appropriate
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energy services in rural
communities
Environmental impacts of
adoption of alternatives to
fossil fuels.
Inadequate resources
Barriers: Economic,
regulatory and institutional
Lack of technical capacity
Slow rate of adoption of
new technologies
OPPORTUNITIES
New partnerships and new
windows of investment.
 Opportunities linked to the
adoption of renewable energy
options
 Review of policies
 Pursue ways to remove
barriers
 Opportunities for skills
development, enhancing
employment opportunities
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DESERTIFICATION
 STATUS:
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Most countries have formulated NAPs
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Implementation and elaboration process of the NAPs in
some countries
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By 2007, 42 countries had developed and adopted NAPs
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Some countries have set up National Desertification
Funds as part of the NAP process
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4 Sub-regional Action Programmes finalized
DESERTIFICATION: Actions taken
Initiative / program
Objectives
The NEPAD Environment
Initiative (EI)
 Combating desertification
 Finalizing sub-regional action plans for the NEPAD
Environment Initiative
The Green Wall for the
Sahara Initiative
 To slow the advance of the Sahara Desert
 Control land degradation, promote integrated
natural resources management,
 Conserve biological diversity
African Monitoring of
Environment for
Sustainable Development
(AMESD)
 Environmental Monitoring
GEF OP15 SLM program
 Supporting activities to combat desertification and
mitigate drought impacts.
 Supporting the implementation of UNCCD and SLM
DESERTIFICATION
CHALLENGES
 Slow and ineffective
process of integrating
NAPs into NDPs and
PRSPs
 Limited progress in
implementing NAPs due
to
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Failure to integrate
desertification control plans
into planning and budgetary
frameworks
Lack of capacity
Lack of resources
 Poverty Levels
OPPORTUNITIES
 Integrated action: leverage
climate change and
biodiversity initiatives
CLIMATE CHANGE
 Inter-linkages with all sectors; impacts on all areas on
development
 Increasing frequency of droughts and floods resulting in
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destruction of infrastructure, crops, land cover, settlements
Loss of runoff, reduced river flow, limited groundwater
recharge
Water stress; limited hydropower production
Salinization of groundwater and surface water resources due
to sea encroachment increasing pressure on water supply
infrastructure
Increased burden of diseases with changing patterns
Changes in agro-ecological zones
CLIMATE CHANGE: Some Actions
 Establishment of the ClimDev Africa Program
 The Green Economy Strategy
 JICA, IDRC and DFID programmes on Climate Change
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Adaptation in Africa
Ratification and implementation of the UNFCCC by
African countries
Preparation of NAPAs
Launching of the Nairobi Framework in 2006 by UNDP,
UNEP, World Bank Group, AfDB, and the UNFCCC
Implementation of Programmes under the Climate
Investment Funds( PPCR, FIP, CTF,SREP)
Global Environment Facility country allocations
CLIMATE CHANGE
CHALLENGES
 Resources to adequately
address impacts of CC
 Lack of technology and
know-how
 Low adaptive capacity to
climate related stresses
 Unintended impacts of
mitigation and adaptation
measures
OPPORTUNITIES
 Climate smart and
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sustainable agriculture
Improved crop varieties
Sustainable land and water
management
Use of renewable energy
and improved energy
efficiency
Fuel efficient polluting
public transportation
Maintaining ecosystems
and biodiversity protection
GLOBAL FINANCIAL & ECONOMIC CRISES
 ISSUES:
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Growth slowdown in Africa is a result of declining
trade flows
Decline in capital inflows and remittances
Declining tourism receipts
Economic down turn in 2009; slow recovery from
2010
The economy showed signs of recovery in 2010, with
growth of 2.4%, and is expected to grow by 5% in
2011
Impacts have been varied across countries –
commodities vs agricultural economies
Loss of jobs across all sectors
GLOBAL FINANCIAL & ECONOMIC CRISES
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CHALLENGES:
Rising costs of
implementing public
programs
Rising costs of basic
commodity imports
Negative impacts on the
countries ability to
achieve MDGs.
Job losses
Missed commitments
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OPPORTUNITIES
New realistic
assessments of resources
required
Benefits of integrated
actions
Leveraging opportunities
Coordination and
Harmonization
YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT
 ISSUES:
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Africa’s youthful population: percentage of youth
has increased to about 20%.
The labour markets have not increased at similar
pace
Other contributors to youth unemployment:
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Skills mismatches between the outputs of the
education systems and the needs of business
General shortage of ‘decent work’
Global financial and economic crises
YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT: Some Actions
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Investments in education
Skills training programs
Public sector work programmes in Ethiopia and
South Africa designed to absorb the unemployed
Business skills training
Micro-credits to start businesses
Ethiopia’s Technical and Vocational Education
and Training (TVET) to make the educational
system responsive market needs
YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT
CHALLENGES
 Improving skills of the
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youth
Meeting the quality
needs of education
Job-less economic
growth
The right incentives
Imports and impact on
domestic businesses
OPPORTUNITIES
 Youth as future skilled
labour
 Increasing targeted
technical and vocational
training
 Skill development links
to job market
MEANS OF IMPLEMENTATION
CHALLENGES:
OPPORTUNITIES:
 Lack of Harmonization
 New institutions
 Inadequate resources
 Renewed commitment
 Low and declining
 Inter-linkages
flows of ODA and FDI
 Complex institutional
structures
 Inadequate capacity
 Engagement of the
private sector
 Climate change
interventions
RECOMMENDATIONS
 Identify opportunities for inter-linkages and enhance
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leveraging to speed up responding to challenges and to
improve efficiency of use of resources
Increase the effective use of available financial resources
and enhance partnerships to achieve development goals
Generate new public and private sources of finance
Improve the capacity for implementing and monitoring
national policies
Create opportunities for the coordination of
implementation mechanisms at lower operational levels
RECOMMENDATIONS
 Promote, facilitate and finance appropriate access to and
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the development, transfer and diffusion of environmentally
sound technologies including renewable energy
Increase use of information and communication
technologies to enhance effective communication and
information sharing
Expedite activities and enhance decision making at lower
levels to improve land and water management
Mainstream climate change into national planning to build
resilience and support transformation to greener economy
Increase investment and improve inputs to ensure
increased yields and productivity in the agriculture sector
THANK YOU FOR YOUR
KIND ATTENTION