Climate Change in Mali
Amidst climate change negotiations at COP26 in Glasgow, it is important to shine a light on the most closely impacted people, and places. Mali is a country stricken with conflict, which makes the addition of climate change even more distressing for its people.
The Sahara Desert accounts for two thirds of Mali, and the desert has been rapidly expanding its footprint. This makes what little farmable land the country has even more sparse. Climate change has also caused the extreme weather conditions to get even more dangerous for Malians, including harsher floods and longer droughts. With a shortening wet season, food scarcity and rising temperatures put Mali at the forefront of the climate crisis.
Solar Panels at Zorokoro School
At ACFA, our goal is to create bright and prosperous futures for Mali’s youth. We do this through providing proper nutrition, healthcare, education, and shelter for the children under our care. Even through these efforts, we are aware that without proper action taken on the global scale, this goal will become farther out of reach for many people on the frontlines of the climate crisis.
With the generous donations and support of our global donors, we have tried to create a sustainable home for the children at the Zorokoro Children’s Complex. We have installed solar panels for energy and have planted a plentiful garden to be used as a nutritious food source for the children. We will continue to take steps like these to make ACFA as ready as possible for the future.
Our ACFA community hopes that negotiations and discussions at Glasgow this week will result in equitable change moving forward to create a sustainable future.
Please consider becoming a monthly ACFA donor to support the children in Mali. Learn more about how to support here: https://www.acfacorp.org/donate
Sources:
https://www.icrc.org/en/document/when-conflict-and-climate-change-collide-icrc-warning-ahead-cop26
https://reliefweb.int/report/mali/when-conflict-and-climate-change-collide-icrc-warning-ahead-cop26