Spanning the globe, millions of people, and thousands of events, both physical and virtual, will mark World Rivers Day 2025 on Sunday, September 28, in what has become one of the largest environmental celebrations on the planet. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the event.
With many of the world’s rivers in a degraded state and facing increasing pressures associated with pollution, climate change, and industrial development, more than 100 countries will participate in this year’s activities.
Mark Angelo, Founder and Chair of World Rivers Day
The event’s theme is “Waterways in our communities” with an emphasis on protecting rivers that remain in a healthy state, while also striving to restore those that have been damaged in past.
Many events will also profile several sub-themes, such as the significant impact that climate change is having on many rivers, or the all-important link between the state of our rivers and the state of our oceans.
“World Rivers Day is an opportunity for literally millions of people around the world to come together to commemorate the importance of healthy, vibrant waterways,” said Mark Angelo, founder and Chair of World Rivers Day.
Events this year will be both physical and virtual. Many physical events will focus on educational and public awareness activities, while others will include river cleanups, habitat restoration projects, streamside plantings, and community riverside celebrations. Activities of a digital nature may include photo contests, school projects, the launching of new campaigns, online essays and poems, the announcement of new research projects, live-stream panels, and virtual film initiatives.
This year marks the 20th annual World Rivers Day, which has its roots in the success of BC Rivers Day, which is celebrating its 45th anniversary in Canada’s westernmost province and which Angelo founded in conjunction with the Outdoor Recreation Council.
“World Rivers Day strives to increase public awareness of the importance of our waterways as well as the many threats confronting them,” said Angelo.
“Rivers are integral to all life,” added Angelo, who has paddled more than 1,000 rivers in over 100 countries.
World Rivers Day events will take place across six continents in countries ranging from Canada to England, the United States to India, Australia to Bangladesh, Austria to Nigeria, and from Mexico to Caribbean nations such as Dominica.
“More than 100 countries and numerous international organisations will be contributing to World Rivers Day,” says Angelo. “It provides a great opportunity for people to get out and enjoy our waterways. At the same time, the event strives to create a greater awareness of the urgent need to better care for our rivers and streams.”
Through its first decade, World Rivers Day complemented the UN’s Water for Life Decade and continues to do so as part of the UN’s current International Decade for Action: Water for Sustainable Development.
Angelo, a recipient of the Order of Canada in recognition of his global river conservation efforts as well as the inaugural recipient of a United Nations Stewardship Award, initially founded BC Rivers Day in British Columbia back in 1980 in conjunction with the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC. He then successfully lobbied numerous organisations, as well as UN agencies, to recognise World Rivers Day in 2005.
The Australian Labor Party (ALP) on Monday, September 15, 2025, released its first national climate risk assessment, warning that unchecked heating beyond 1.5°C will trigger “cascading, compounding, and concurrent” threats to people, ecosystems and the economy.
The report models warming of 1.5°C, 2°C and 3°C and confirms the country is already brushing the 1.5°C threshold. Every fraction of a degree beyond 1.5°C would mean greater damage to both Australian communities and to its Pacific neighbours on the frontline of rising sea levels and extreme weather.
Anthony Albanese, leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and Prime Minister
Fenton Lutunatabua, 350.org Deputy Head of Regions, says: “Every tenth of a degree beyond 1.5°C means a loss of more life, more homes and more livelihoods. No one feels this more clearly than those of us in the Pacific. If Australia wants to avoid the worst of the climate crisis, the national climate risk assessment and national adaptation plans are just the first step.
“The solution to this crisis is unequivocally an end to fossil fuel production, and notably, Australia’s fossil fuel exports. If the Albanese government does not address this and do its utmost best to align with 1.5°C in their new climate plan, the risks outlined in this report are only the beginning – for all of us that call the Pacific home. We need to draw a line at what we are willing to lose to the dangers of fossil fuels.”
Climate Change and Energy Minister, Chris Bowen, who is leading Australia’s bid to co-host COP31 with Pacific nations, said the findings show that “every degree of warming we prevent now will help future generations avoid the worst impacts.”
But rhetoric will ring hollow unless it is matched by action. The Albanese Government must:
Submit ambitious new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) this year, in line with a credible pathway to keep 1.5°C alive.
Stop approving new coal, oil and gas projects that betray science, Australian communities, and the Pacific peoples whose survival depends on a swift, just transition.
Use COP30 in Baku to press for a global deal that locks in a rapid, just phase-out of fossil fuels and mobilises finance for most affected countries.
Jacynta Fa’amau, 350.org Pacific Campaigner, says: “People think that the climate crisis is only impacting islands in the Pacific, but the reality is that flooding and erosion will hit Australia’s coasts as well, and bushfires are already a stark reality. Pacific islanders have already heralded this warning for decades. I hope that this assessment is a wake-up call that not only are our islands at risk, but so are millions of Australians if the Albanese government fails to act.
“The approval of the North West Shelf gas extension this week is a dark shadow over this government’s climate promises. We are drawing the line against Australia’s climate hypocrisy and insist that the new climate plan announced this week will define Australia’s future as a climate leader and our ability to stay on track for the 1.5-degree limit.”
Pacific leaders and communities continue to “Draw the Line” at 1.5°C, with actions planned in Fiji, Australia and New Zealand on the 21st of September as part of the global Draw the Line mobilisation that will see over 400 actions take place around the world from September 19 to 21. Last week, Pacific Islands Forum leaders presented a bold plan to make the Pacific the world’s first 100% renewable region. echoing calls from the Pacific Climate Warriors and diaspora groups on the lawns of Australia’s Parliament earlier this year.
“If Australia wants to host COP31 alongside Pacific partners, it must prove its commitment now: end new fossil fuel approvals, ramp up clean energy and climate finance, and show the leadership that a 1.5°C future demands.”
African governments are being encouraged to present their new national climate plans as opportunities to supercharge economies and boost living standards across the continent, as deadlines approach for all countries in the Paris Agreement to submit these plans.
“Strong new national climate plans are blueprints for stronger economies, more jobs and rising living standards, across all African nations. Strong plans open the door to new industries, large-scale investment, more affordable clean energy accessible to all, and more resilient infrastructure, as climate disasters hit African nations harder each year,” said UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, Simon Stiell.
Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change
“Africa is not just on the frontlines of climate impacts; it is also at the forefront of solutions. Right across the continent, we are already seeing massive potential and innovations which cut planet-heating pollution and build more climate-resilient economies. Strong new national climate plans are the key to converting that potential into real-economy outcomes at scale, including the millions of new jobs they create,” Stiell added.
The United Nations is calling on all countries to submit their new plans, formally called Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs, as soon as possible ahead of key milestones, including the UN Secretary General’s September Climate Summit and November COP30 in Brazil. September will be an important milestone, but submissions will continue in the run-up to COP30, with each plan helping to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius and protect all peoples, while also unlocking jobs, growth, and economic benefits at home.
While particular responsibility rests with the largest economies, whose choices determine the global trajectory of emissions, it is essential that every nation puts forward its most ambitious plan, both to strengthen humanity’s collective response and to drive each nation’s own prosperity and security.
Examples from Across Africa
In South Africa, the NDC process is framed around a just transition that protects workers and communities while scaling renewables to strengthen energy security. International partnerships are signalling momentum, bringing together governments, public financiers, and private investors to support South Africa’s shift from coal to clean energy – growing from $8.5 to 11.6 billion.
Nigeria is advancing a whole-of-government and society approach, linking climate action to job creation, poverty reduction, and improved energy access. Over 85 million people still lack electricity, making decentralised renewables critical. Large-scale solar is expected to generate 33,905 direct green jobs by 2030, the micro-solar sector is already employing youth as “energy officers,” the Great Green Wall has restored more than 5 million hectares, and the country’s extensive mangroves provide carbon storage and flood protection.
With a population projected to surpass 400 million by 2050 and GDP already over $470 billion, Nigeria has unparalleled potential to be a powerful leader in Africa’s green transition. Its upcoming climate plan is being designed as a national investment strategy to generate millions of green jobs by 2035 and secure a strong share of the $2.2 trillion global clean energy market. The transformation is already underway: over 170 solar mini-grids are already operational, bringing reliable electricity to nearly 6 million people, while young entrepreneurs are driving innovation in recycling, clean transport, and sustainable agriculture.
Morocco has emerged as a regional leader in renewable energy, with the Ouarzazate solar complex among the largest in the world. It stands as a positive example of how national ambition can deliver clean power at scale.
Recent milestone UN climate events, including Climate Week in Ethiopia and the Adaptation Expo in Zambia, have showcased innovative and practical new climate solutions emerging right across African nations, helping them to be scaled up and replicated across the continent and globally.
Africa Leading the Way
Momentum for strong climate action by and for African nations is building following the Africa Climate Summit in Addis Ababa last week, where leaders called for climate action to be treated as a driver of development and investment; and the Nairobi Declaration agreed by African leaders at the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi in September 2023, which highlighted the continent’s role as a driver of global solutions.
Countries are being urged to turn political signals into concrete plans that deliver for people and economies, echoing Simon Stiell’s message that delivery is the essential driver of climate justice and economic opportunity.
Through initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area, African nations can build resilient regional supply chains, export green goods and services, and foster shared prosperity across borders.
Climate finance remains central and a vital enabler of stronger climate actions by vulnerable and developing countries. Climate finance is not charity but an investment in shared prosperity, essential to convert climate ambitions into real-economy outcomes, strengthen global supply chains which all economies rely on, and ensure the vast benefits are spread much more widely across all nations in Africa and the developing world.
The COP29 UN Climate Conference in Azerbaijan last year reached a new global agreement to triple climate finance to $300 billion per year. This must be delivered in full, and a new Finance Roadmap expected at COP30 in Brazil this November will be key to scaling climate finance to $1.3 trillion annually by 2035.
The Faculty of Environmental Sciences at Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University Makurdi (MOAUM), Benue State, in collaboration with the Environment and Safety Management Institute and civil society partners, hosted the 1st International Conference on “River Benue and Sustainable Development in the 21st Century” from September 9–12, 2025. The event drew over 200 participants from academia, government, civil society, and development organisations.
In his welcome address, Professor Simon Terver Ubwa, Acting Vice-Chancellor, highlighted the global significance of rivers in sustaining civilisations, drawing parallels with the Nile, Indus, and Tigris-Euphrates. He stressed the urgent need to safeguard the River Benue amid threats from climate change, flooding, and unsustainable practices.
Participants at the 1st International Conference on “River Benue and Sustainable Development in the 21st Century” in Makurdi, Benue State
Professor Daniel Serki Ortserga, Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences, described the river as a “resource giant” with immense ecological and socioeconomic potential, while noting challenges such as farmer-herder conflicts, unsustainable fishing practices, and untapped tourism opportunities.
The conference featured lead papers from distinguished scholars. Professor Temi Emmanuel Ologunorisa of Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology discussed climate change, flood hydroclimatology, and policy-science integration for flood risk management. Professor Olarewaju Oluseyi Ifatimehin of Kogi State University addressed land degradation, climate resilience, and sustainable river basin development.
Additional insights came from key stakeholders.
Professor Member Genyi, Director of Gender Studies, MOAUM, emphasised proper management of the River Benue for its economic gains.
She noted, “The things we say about linking resources from River Benue and the extent of sustainability of the process of development is very important because we will not just be raising proposals in this hall, but that they will be taken out to be made into policy options, how it serves the environment, climate change, economic opportunities, etc.”
Terese Ninga, Managing Director of the Lower Benue Development Authority, highlighted that the river is undergoing changes detrimental to the wellbeing of its people, noting the importance of academic research in guiding sustainable solutions.
Dr. Kenneth Uchua, Director of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NARSDA), stated, “When very good decisions are taken on the premise of high verifiable results, they will be guaranteed for livelihood, sustainability of our environment, and improvement of wellbeing.”
Dr. Daniel Dam, Deputy Dean of the Faculty, described the River Benue as one of God’s natural gifts, emphasising the need to harness its resources for regional and national development, and to ensure food security.
Over 60 papers were presented in technical and plenary sessions, covering key themes:
Climate Change and Water Resources – rainfall variability, water level changes, flood risk mapping, and community resilience.
Ecosystems, Land Use, and Sustainability – erosion, contamination, fisheries, riparian vegetation, and renewable energy solutions.
Socioeconomic Development and Livelihoods – farmer-herder conflicts, inland water transportation, fisheries-based livelihoods, and migration impacts.
Health, Community, and Gender Dimensions – public health risks, WASH interventions, and inclusion of women, displaced persons, and vulnerable populations.
Innovation and Technology – geospatial analysis, GIS and remote sensing applications, and AI in climate change mitigation.
A consistent message across all sessions was that the River Benue is not only an ecological resource but also a socioeconomic lifeline, requiring urgent policy action, technological innovation, and inclusive community engagement.
The conference received goodwill messages from partner civil society organisations (CSOs) including:
Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP), delivered by Dr. David Michael Terungwa, Executive Director, called for safeguarding the river as a lifeline for over 20 million people and aligning interventions with the SDGs.
Gender and Environmental Risk Reduction Initiative (GERI), delivered by Stephanie Temang, Acting Deputy Executive Director and Gender Desk Officer, emphasised gender-responsive approaches to environmental risk reduction.
Climate and Sustainable Development Network (CSDevNet), delivered by Abuh Monday Stephen, National Network Coordinator, stressed the need for climate-smart agriculture, policy integration, and ecosystem-based management.
Global Health Education Foundation (GLOHEF) reaffirmed its commitment to community-driven health and environmental initiatives and support for sustainable management of the River Benue.
The conference also featured a Tiv cultural dance performance, reflecting the deep connection between the river and local heritage.
The event concluded with a communiqué affirming the River Benue’s centrality to food security, biodiversity conservation, and socioeconomic resilience. Key resolutions included:
Strengthening collaboration among academia, government, CSOs, and communities.
Mainstreaming climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction into river basin management.
Promoting sustainable livelihoods through eco-friendly practices and renewable energy.
Enhancing community awareness and participation, particularly of women and youth.
Developing policies to harness tourism, transport, and agricultural potentials of the river.
The deliberations and resolutions will feed into ongoing advocacy and policy dialogues aimed at repositioning the River Benue as a driver of sustainable development in Nigeria and beyond.
In the lead-up to COP30 and as world leaders gather in New York for the General Assembly of the United Nations tens of thousands of people across the globe are taking to the streets in a wave of coordinated protests under the banner “Draw the Line” in 93 different countries around the world.
Communities are demanding urgent action from governments to end extracivism and stop fossil fuel expansion, deliver a fast, fair, funded and just transition away from fossil fuels, address the injustices and inequalities driven by the current neo-liberal and imperialistic economic systems and ensure a just transition to a world that protects life.
Draw the Line is a global action with widespread mobilisations
Workers, women, farmers, fishers, young people, Indigenous Peoples, migrants, refugees, pastoralists, people of color and LGBTI People are rising together to demand system change and reclaim the commons for a world that is in harmony with nature, centred on solutions by and for the people and not on false solutions.
This global moment comes at a critical time when the rich and the powerful countries and corporations continue their colonial and extractivist agenda, while world leaders fail to prevent and stop the genocide taking place in Palestine, Sudan, and Congo, and the governments across the world are veering towards authoritarianism, undoing decades of progress.
With every tenth of a degree of global heating, the consequences for people and ecosystems multiply, as seen in the devastating wildfires, typhoons, cloudbursts, floods, and extreme heatwaves already sweeping across continents this year.
The Draw the Line mobilisations are a global call to action against inequality, destruction, and climate chaos and for rights, jobs, justice, and a safe planet. Across the world, people are demanding a feminist, fast, fair, funded, and forever phase-out of fossil fuels, investment in renewable energy,resilient food systems, real peoples led solutions funding for the future through climate finance from rich countries to the Global South, debt cancellation and taxing billionaires. At its heart, this movement is about justice, defending human rights, reclaiming democracy, restoring ecosystems, and building solidarity across peoples and nations.
Protests, artistic actions, vigils, and marches will take place in hundreds of cities around the world during this Global Week of Action in September, showing that people everywhere are united in demanding climate justice.
Draw the Line will be taking place alongside the Disrupt Complicity Weekend, September 18 to 21, called for by the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement (BDS) and stands in solidarity with their call to action.
As COP30 approaches in Brazil, activists stress that leaders must make the most of this narrowing window of opportunity: the choices made in the next few years will define the future of generations to come.
Events will take place in over 100 countries, with large mobilisations expected in Belem, Berlin, Dhaka, Istanbul, Jakarta, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Johannesburg, Istanbul, Suva, London, Manila, Melbourne, Mumbai, Nairobi, New Delhi, New York, Paris, Tokyo, and Wellington, among other cities, territories, and villages.
Lidy Nacpil, Coordinator, Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD), said: “We are drawing the line against deceptive tactics led by rich nations and big corporations to perpetuate fossil fuel dominance and delay the equitable just transition to a fossil free and healthy planet. We demand a complete coal phase out in Asia by 2035 and a rapid and just energy transition out of fossil fuels and to 100% renewable energy before 2050. We demand the full delivery of climate finance obligations of the Global North to the Global South for urgent climate action including Just Transition! This is a crucial part of their reparations for historical and continuing harms to our people.”
Tasneem Essop, Executive Director, Climate Action Network International: “We are living through immensely challenging times right now: increasing injustices, human rights violations, wars, conflict and genocide, devastating climate impacts, rising cost of living and more. A global movement of movements is rising up to respond to the moment with the launch of the ‘Draw the Line’ Global Week of Action.
“Youth and women, workers and communities, young and old, across our ravaged planet are drawing the line against those fighting to keep us locked in a world of pollution, exploitation, wars and injustice. We are saying enough is enough and call for a Just Transition that puts people at the centre and serves the needs and interests of the masses of people who are suffering. As laid out by the UN Secretary General today, the energy transition is here and it is unstoppable, but it has to be just, fair, inclusive and fast. Our united actions across the globe in September will be our call for a just future.”
Rachitaa Gupta, Global Coordinator, Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice (DCJ): “We are drawing the line against genocide, against fossil fuel expansion, and against false solutions that destroy our lands and extract from our communities. We refuse to let corporations profit off our lands, our resources, our food systems, and our bodies while our communities at the frontline continue to face the devastating impact of this crisis that we did not create. We demand an end to corporate capture and to the systems that turn war and extraction into profit.
“We call for a complete overhaul of the international financial architecture to dismantle debt traps, tax injustice, and neocolonial control. The Global North must pay up urgent climate finance in trillions, not as charity, but as reparations for centuries of plunder and pollution. This is not just a protest; it is a global movement for liberation. We demand a system change rooted in justice led by the peoples and communities. Our fight for climate justice is the fight for freedom, for dignity, and for life. And we are not backing down.”
Anne Jellema, Chief Executive, 350.org: “This mobilisation is about power, people power. The power to reject the lies of fossil fuel billionaires and remake our world for the many, not the few. We are drawing the line, because when governments fail to act, we rise. When polluters and profiteers try to divide us, we unite. We have the answers to this crisis, and we are calling on world leaders to listen, act, and follow the will of the people, not the whims of autocrats and billionaires. It’s our future, and it is for us to decide what it looks like.”
Tyrone Scott, Senior Movement Building & Activism Officer, War on Want: “In the UK, we’re joining movements worldwide and are drawing the line against inequality, climate breakdown, and the billionaires fuelling our global crises. On 20 September, thousands of us, backed by over 60 organisations, will march through the streets of London to demand justice.
“We’re part of a global movement rising together to say: enough is enough. From debt and poverty to fossil fuel tyranny, we are uniting across borders to resist more destruction and reclaim our future. This is a moment of reckoning. We are drawing the line for justice, for life, for the planet. Ordinary people didn’t cause this crisis; billionaires and corporations did. Now it’s time to make them pay to fix it.”
Omar Barghouti, co-founder of the BDS movement for Palestinian rights, recipient of the 2017 Gandhi Peace Award: “In the current, most depraved, induced starvation phase of the US-Israeli livestreamed genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in the Gaza ghetto, Palestinian civil society stands united in calling on people of conscience and grassroots movements for racial, economic, social, climate and gender justice worldwide to help us build a critical mass of people power to end state, corporate and institutional complicity with Israel’s regime of settler-colonial apartheid and genocide, particularly through effective BDS actions and pressure. We are not begging for charity but calling for true solidarity, and that begins with doing no harm to our liberation struggle, at the very least, as a profound moral and legal obligation.”
Hari Krishna Nibanupudi, Global Climate Change Adviser, HelpAge International: “Twenty-nine COPs and a million broken promises. Another summit, another letdown. It’s time to radically reform how global climate negotiations are conducted—and take power out of the hands of the polluters who profit from delay.”
Brice Böhmer, Climate & Environment Lead, Transparency International: “Too many past COPs have been undermined by undue influence and a lack of integrity. COP30 offers a vital opportunity to change course. Transparency International calls for clear rules of engagement, a strong conflict of interest policy, and an accountability framework to ensure that climate decisions serve the public good, not private profit. This is our chance to put ethics at the centre of climate action.”
Sara Washburn, Ottawa-Gatineau Climate March Organiser, Fridays For Future Ottawa, Canada: “I’m here because I’m a parent, and I worry about the world my kids are inheriting. We’re drawing the line because we all deserve a future built on care, not chaos. I’m taking action now because I want my children – and all our children – to have a safe, just, and livable planet.”
The issue of climate change and its associated impacts, especially on African cities, is a critical topic that demands urgent attention.
Every day, Africa faces the consequences of something it did not cause. While 7 out of the 10 world most climate vulnerable countries are in the African region, Africa only emits about 4% of greenhouse gases, and in terms of historical contributions the content ranks even lower – according to World Meteorological Organisation’s State of the Global Climate report 2022.
Dr Muhammad Gambo
Heatwaves, heavy rains, floods, tropical cyclones, and prolonged droughts, which are some of the effects of climate change, are having devastating impacts on communities and economies, with increasing numbers of people at risk across the continent. Africa’s rapidly expanding cities are hotspots of this vulnerability and impact.
According to the OECD report, Africa is one of the world’s least urbanized continents yet hosts the most rapidly urbanising region – the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The region has an urban population of 500 million people, accounting for approximately 40% of the continent’s population, and an urban growth rate double that of the global average at 4.1% per year, compared to the global average of 2.1%. By 2050, it is estimated that over 60% of Africans will be living in urban areas.
This accelerated urban growth puts further pressure on existing challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, insufficient access to basic services, unemployment, and housing shortages. About 56% of urban population in Africa reside in informal settlements, compounded by insecure land tenure and constrained access to essential infrastructural services such as sanitation, water and energy, according to the African Cities Research Consortium and Brookings – 2024 reports.
A Climate Crisis
It’s widely acknowledged that climate change will affect Africa’s socio-economic development trajectory, threatening the continent’s attainment of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the objectives of the Africa Union’s Agenda 2063.
In UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ own words, “Africa is on the frontlines of the climate crisis. The time for action is now. We must invest in sustainable solutions to protect our people and planet.”
But all is not lost. One of the recent global developments in climate policy has been the establishment of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD), which aims to provide financial support to vulnerable countries affected by climate disasters.
The Fund, established during the COP27 negotiations, holds significant potential for African nations, especially in the context of urban development and the challenges faced by rapidly growing cities across the continent. It has the potential to serve as a powerful tool to address both the immediate impacts of climate disasters and the longer-term need for sustainable urban development in Africa, through the principle of “building back better”.
Firstly, the Fund could be channeled into immediate relief and rebuilding efforts, such as reconstructing homes, improving drainage systems to mitigate flooding, and ensuring access to clean water and sanitation. For example, funding could support the delivery of infrastructure that can withstand natural disasters, such as resilient affordable housing and other related climate resilient infrastructure for cities. Ensuring climate resilience and addressing key infrastructural shortages that exacerbate vulnerability is crucial in all activities the Fund will support.
Such projects would create more sustainable cities that are better equipped to handle the intensifying impacts of climate change while simultaneously offering economic opportunities through job creation.
Secondly, the Fund could be used to empower local communities, particularly marginalized populations in urban slums and informal settlements, who are often the hardest hit by climate disasters. Supporting these actors to adapt and develop is crucial for sustained resilience. Also, the informal economy – which forms a significant part of Africa’s urban economy – should not be left behind.
Finally, the Fund could be used to support capacity building initiatives such as training local leaders, strengthening disaster management systems, and creating meaningful climate partnerships.
Reimagining African cities
That said, the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage has the potential to play a transformative role in the urban development of African cities, particularly in mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change.
Whether this potential is reached depends on the setup of the Fund and the criteria used to assess projects – and whether those are in line with African realities in terms of data and capacity availability. It also depends on careful planning and effective collaboration to ensure that the Fund benefits those who need it most.
This is a unique opportunity to not only address the consequences of climate change, but also to reimagine African cities as models of sustainability and inclusivity for the future.
By Dr Muhammad Gambo,Head of Policy, Research and Partnerships at Shelter Afrique Development Bank
Africa stands at a defining moment. The continent has the world’s youngest population, vast arable land and abundant natural resources, yet many families still face food and nutrition insecurity as millions of young people look for work that never comes. This contradiction is alarming but solvable. The answer is to treat agriculture not as a relic or a last resort but as a modern, innovative and rewarding career path for young Africans, writes Nana Yaa B. Amoah
Nana B. Amoah
The Africa Food Systems Forum in 2025 offers a timely platform to reset priorities. Its focus on youth leadership in collaboration, innovation and implementation signals a clear truth.
The continent’s future depends on empowering its greatest asset, its young people.
Africa’s population is about 1.2 billion and could double by 2050. More than 400 million people are between 15 and 35, the youngest profile of any region.
Yet far too many are unemployed or underemployed.
Agriculture has the greatest capacity to absorb labour, generate income and spark innovation, but the sector remains unattractive to many.
The gap is not an opportunity.
It is imagination, investment and support.
Youth unemployment has become a failure of imagination. Too often, policy is framed around counting jobs rather than unlocking the promise that already sits in our fields, markets and research stations.
We must reimagine agriculture as a space of aspiration and impact for young Africans. That shift demands coordinated support from governments, the private sector and development partners to back youth in modern agri-entrepreneurial roles.
Rebranding agriculture as a technology-powered enterprise will turn the tide.
Across the continent, young innovators are building mobile apps that connect farmers to buyers, using drones to monitor crops, applying artificial intelligence to detect pests and creating digital platforms to verify inputs. Farming is becoming digital, data-driven and dynamic.
Young people are already leading much of this change.
But they still face heavy barriers. Land access remains the quiet gatekeeper of opportunity.
Legal, financial and customary hurdles keep land out of reach.
Without it young people, especially young women, cannot build wealth or invest with confidence. Land reform must be treated as a core youth issue, not only a rural one.
Finance is another hurdle. Many young people lack collateral and formal credit histories.
A new wave of digital financial data offers a breakthrough. Mobile money transactions and utility payments can be used to build verifiable records of financial behaviour.
Alternative credit scoring then opens the door to loans for inputs, technology and growth. Digital financial inclusion is essential if agriculture is to become a vibrant space for young entrepreneurs.
Education and training often lag behind market needs. Curricula can be outdated. Market access is weak, infrastructure is thin and new technologies are priced out of reach.
These challenges feed the myth that farming is only hard work with little reward. To make agriculture a viable career, we must remove the obstacles. Reform land tenure. Expand affordable finance.
Modernise education and training. Strengthen market linkages. Embed digital tools from production through processing and distribution. Young people should be at the forefront of this innovation wave.
The opportunities run across the value chain. Beyond growing crops or keeping livestock, youth can thrive as agro dealers who supply inputs and offer advice and delivery through digital platforms.
More than 40,000 agro dealers already support farmers, reducing distances to inputs and lifting adoption of better technologies, with yield gains reported at up to 40 percent in Nigeria.
In seed production, youth work with companies on multiplication, quality control and supply chain management.
As agricultural advisers and extension workers, young professionals train farmers in climate-smart practices that raise productivity sustainably.
The growing agri-tech sector invites youth to design tools for input verification, market information and farmer training.
Youth-led small and medium enterprises in processing and value addition create jobs, drive local industry and cut post-harvest losses.
Many are building market linkages by brokering deals, running storage and facilitating regional seed trade.
Others are advancing regenerative farming and championing drought-resistant crops that help communities adapt to a changing climate.
Young people are also shaping policy.
They are engaging ministries, regulators and national platforms to push for youth-inclusive policies and to monitor delivery, so that decisions reflect the needs of the next generation.
This agenda aligns with the new continental strategy under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme for 2026 to 2035, which calls for reimagining and reinvesting in food systems. Innovative financing is central.
Tax reforms, local government bonds, remittances, pension funds and climate-aligned investments can be mobilised. Social and environmental bonds, parametric insurance, and debt for nature swaps can back youth-led agribusiness and climate-resilient models.
Inclusive dialogue will make these ideas real. Ministries of finance, agriculture and social development should work together to streamline support for youth and for women across low- and middle-income countries.
Only a coordinated effort can build a system that supports young people from farm to market.
Any youth strategy that ignores gender is incomplete. Women form the backbone of agricultural production, yet remain underserved.
There is no path to unlock Africa’s food potential without gender equity. Secure land rights, tailored finance, modern training and a seat at the table are not only fair. They are essential for sustainable growth.
If we do not centre young women, we do not centre Africa’s future.
As Africa confronts food insecurity and youth unemployment, the path forward is clear. Agriculture is the future.
It is rich with innovation, powered by technology and full of opportunity.
With the right investments, policies and vision, it can become a dynamic engine of economic transformation and social inclusion.
Africa’s youth are ready to lead. The question is whether we will give them the chance.
Nana Yaa B. Amoah is the Director for Gender, Youth and Inclusiveness at AGRA, an African-led organisation that puts farmers at the centre of the continent’s growing economy
A non-profit group known as the EcoSteward and Humanitarian Foundation has called on government leaders and stakeholders to explore the adoption of agroecology and renewable energy as two powerful solutions to Africa’s climate crisis and development trajectory.
The body made the call during a side event it hosted on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at the recently concluded Second African Climate Summit (ACS2), which was held in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.
Participants at the EcoSteward and Humanitarian Foundation (EHF) side event in the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, which was organised with assistance from the Global Alliance for the Future of Food in partnership with the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), Frontline Food Leaders (FFL), GreenFaith Africa, GreenFaith Nigeria, BBCU GreenFund, and Community Action for Food Security
In their evaluation of the programme’s theme, “Advancing Food Justice & Energy Just Transition: Multi-stakeholder Actions on Climate and Food Systems,” the participants argued that agroecology should not be seen as a backup plan because it is actually the continent’s original climate pathway for reclaiming degraded lands, ensuring food sovereignty, and increasing resilience to climate shocks.
As usual, the meeting ended with another historic Addis Ababa Declaration and startling financial commitments, most notably the introduction of the Africa Climate Innovation Compact (ACIC), a $50 billion yearly fund for renewable energy, innovation, and climate adaptation. The other pledges outlined in the new arrangement include the Expanded African Climate Change Fund and the African Just Resilience Framework. All of these initiatives seek to open up funds and direct them towards locally driven solutions that protect disadvantaged groups from climate-related risks.
Dr. Pius Oko, the head of the grassroots organisation, has a different opinion about the summit’s outcome; he believes that it was time to move Africa’s climate and development discourse from words to action.
Climate finance, he insisted, must flow directly to smallholder farmers, women, and young people who are powering grassroots solutions, not stop at governments and institutions.
According to him, this is critical if the continent is serious about delivering energy to the roughly 600 million people who are currently estimated to be living in darkness. It will also help to provide access for another 900 million Africans who presently lack access to clean cooking technologies, as well as the 118 million predicted to migrate by 2030.
“If global finance fails to reach the grassroots, these promises will remain empty headlines,” he asserts.
Dr. Oko appealed to leaders and international development agencies to emphasise grants over loans to alleviate Africa’s debt burden and achieve environmental justice by investing in renewable energy and sustainable agriculture.
The just concluded ACS2, which brought together political leaders, development partners, and grassroots movements, represents a critical shift and turning point in Africa’s climate leadership, as the continent is no longer on the sidelines but rather at the centre of global climate negotiations. With the Addis Ababa Declaration, Africa has spoken with one voice, and the rest of the world must listen and act immediately.
Some environmentalists have called for stricter enforcement of safety regulations in Nigeria’s water sector.
They made the call on Saturday, September 13, 2025, in Lagos at the close of a two-day International Natural Resources Conference and Water Sector Awards (iNatConf & WoSAwards 2025).
Participants at the International Natural Resources Conference and Water Sector Awards, in Lagos
Mr. Oluwadare Oyebode of the Afe Babalola University, Ondo State, decried poor governance, weak enforcement of safety laws, and inadequate funding of the sector.
He said that the gaps had left many people vulnerable to illnesses and injuries, undermining service delivery and public confidence.
Presenting a paper on “Occupational Health and Safety in the Water Industry”, Oyebode said that workers remained exposed to chemical, biological, physical and ergonomic hazards.
He said that provision of protective equipment, climate-resilient infrastructure and regular training for safety officers were important in enforcing safety measures.
“Protecting the workers is both a moral duty and a key step to ensuring sustainable water supply,” he added.
Mr. Cletus Akhigbe, the Director-General of the Quality and Management System Auditors Institute, highlighted the importance of internationally-recognised standards.
Akhigbe said that standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 helped organisations to manage risks and adapt to modern disruptions.
According to him, Management System Standards integrate safety, governance and environmental performance, leading to fewer workplace incidents, stronger trust, cost saving and alignment with global environmental, social and governance principles.
Mr. Peter Ahunarh, National Director of the Ghana Red Cross Society, urged members of the public to acquire basic first aid knowledge.
He said that such knowledge could save lives and reduce pressure on hospitals during emergencies.
Ahunarh said that first aiders were often the first to arrive at accident scenes and their actions could determine survival.
He outlined basic principles such as ensuring safety, calling for help, stopping bleeding and arranging hospital transfer as important.
The director cautioned against rushing into danger.
He added that cardiopulmonary resuscitation, recovery positions, and management of shock, wounds and burns remained essential skills.
“First aid is a humanitarian service that strengthens community resilience in times of emergency,” Ahunarh said.
Vaccination of frontline health workers and contacts of people infected with Ebola virus disease has begun in Bulape health zone in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Kasai Province where an outbreak of the disease has been declared.
An initial 400 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine – from the country’s stockpile of 2000 doses prepositioned in the capital Kinshasa – have been delivered to Bulape, one of the current hotspots of the outbreak. Additional doses will be delivered to the affected localities in the coming days.
Ebola vaccine
The vaccine is being administered through ring vaccination strategy, which entails vaccinating individuals at highest risk of infection after having come into contact with a patient confirmed with the virus. It is also recommended for health care and frontline workers responding to the outbreak who may be in contact with Ebola patients.
The Ervebo vaccine is said to be safe and protects against the Zaire ebolavirus species, which has been confirmed as the cause of the ongoing outbreak.
The International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision has approved around 45,000 additional Ebola vaccine doses to be shipped to the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of the ongoing outbreak response. WHO supported the health authorities to develop the request for additional doses, and with partners, including UNICEF, also supported the development of a vaccination plan for the rollout of the doses. Vaccination teams are also being trained in data collection and receiving field support.
In addition to the vaccines, treatment courses of the monoclonal antibody therapy (Mab114) drug have also been sent to treatment centres in Bulape for clinical care.
On the ground, WHO has so far deployed 48 experts in disease surveillance, clinical care, infection prevention and control, logistics and community engagement who, along with partner organisations, are supporting the government to rapidly strengthen outbreak response measures to halt the spread of the virus.
In countries neighbouring the Democratic Republic of Congo, WHO is working with national authorities to bolster operational readiness to enable rapid detection of cases and prompt initiation of measures to curb further spread.
WHO assesses the overall public health risk posed by the ongoing outbreak as high at the national level, moderate at the regional level and low at the global level.
