Unveiling the Link Between Sahel's Heatwave, Climate Change, Sustainability, and Microenterprise Accelerator Programs

 From April 1 to April 5, the temperatures recorded in Burkina Faso were more than 45 degrees Celsius as maximum temperatures and 32 degrees Celsius as minimum temperatures. [Fanny Noaro-Kabre/AFP]

Below is the report from Aljazeera on 18th April 2024.

"Mali and Burkina Faso recorded most extreme heat in what scientists called a once-in-a-200-year occurrence."

"Human-caused climate change fueled an exceptionally intense and deadly heat wave across West Africa's Sahel region in April, concludes a new analysis by World Weather Attribution, an international network of researchers studying extreme weather events.".

Temperatures in Mali and Burkina Faso surged above 45 degrees Celsius in what was an exceptional peak for that time of the year and likely led to dozens of deaths, according to a study published Thursday. Details: https://aje.io/l19vu4

It said that on its own assessment, this five consecutive day stretch of extreme heat only occurred once in 200 years. However, the warning said, "these trends will continue with future warming." The WWA urged countries to have plans on heat action that would alert nationals on extreme temperatures and advice on how not to get overheated.

It also urged measures for the protection of essential services—the electricity, water, and health systems—from the rising frequency and intensity of extreme heat.

 These are our comments:

If another scorching heat wave were to pass over the Sahel, it would be utterly unnecessary to further emphasize the urgency of anthropogenic climate change. The crisis is intense and in itself imperils livelihoods in Sahelian communities but evidences how climate change actions interlink with efforts toward sustainability and building resilience with MAPs.

The big Sahel heatwave: a manifestation of climate change in action:

The Sahel, a large semi-arid region cutting across Africa south of the Sahara Desert, has been hard hit in recent times by extreme weather events, heatwaves not exempted. A broader issue mirrored by heatwaves is that of climate change. Driven majorly by human activities, climate change can largely be attributed to the combustion of fossil fuels, deforestation, and unsustainable land use practices. Surging temperatures and erratic rainfall go with food insecurity, water scarcity, and displacement to mark life for the beleaguered communities in the Sahel.

Sustainability Imperative in the Face of Climate Crisis:

The reality staring us hard in the face is no more one but multiple escalating climate crises—the heat wave that sprawls the Sahel. That will quickly turn sustainability from an all-singing, all-dancing catch-all phrase into an urgent imperative. Some of the Agenda's sustainable development goals that appeal to holistic approaches—targets on climate action under Goal 13, and Goal 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth, which is one of SheEO Foundation's beacons—stress that battling climate change must be done with some understanding of economic gains and social equity. The world must aggressively pursue renewable energy, regenerative agriculture practices, and restorative actions working on degraded lands to mitigate climatic change by enhancing resilience, particularly in the Sahel region of the world.

Overview of Microenterprise Accelerator Programs:

Microenterprise Accelerator Programs are among the major levers for tackling climate change and ensuring sustainability. Regular programs targeted at microentrepreneurs—all from disadvantaged communities—will have them better positioned for access to resources, trainings, and mentorship relevant to expanding sustainable businesses. In this respect, in a context of adaptation and mitigation of climate change, MAPs play several important roles:

Promotion of Sustainable Livelihoods: Through capacity development of micro-entrepreneurs to uptake sustainable livelihood options, MAPs raise resilient business models by entrepreneurs to remain in business despite climate-related attacks.

Innovation Fostering: The pathway availed by the MAPs opens up an avenue for innovation by the micro-entrepreneur and hence arrives at climate-smart solutions that can help address related local challenges, especially on water, soil degradation, and access to energy.

Promotion ofGreen Entrepreneurship: Through the organization and creation of green enterprises in environmentally friendly agricultural practices, renewable energy businesses, and waste management enterprises, MAPs promote green entrepreneurship.

Community Resilience: The relationships forged by the communities with the MAPs enhance the resilience of micro-entrepreneurs to climate change and help avert conditions relating to climate change. In the process, this makes communities more resilient to promote sustainable development not only in the Sahel region but globally as well.

Conclusion:

It will hence become clear that the notion about MAPs for promoting sustainability and resilience is timely, especially considering that the ongoing heat wave across the Sahel acts as another stark reminder of high urgency for climate action. It is through these tools and support for micro-entrepreneurs to overcome several challenges caused as a result of climate change that the MAPs could potentially catalyze positive change at the grassroots level. So partner with SheEO Foundation in achieving the highest transformative potential of the MAPs toward ensuring a sustainable, inclusive future for all.