AFRICA CLIMATE SUMMIT 2023: CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE SOCIAL DIMENSION

Year 2024, , 41 - 61, 01.02.2024

Süleyman Dal

https://doi.org/10.58851/africania.1374553

Abstract

Climate change, driven by its effects of increasing greenhouse gas emissions, refers to systematic and long-term changes in the planet's climate system. These changes manifest themselves with various effects, such as the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and higher surface temperatures. Beyond being an environmental issue, climate change has political, economic, and social dimensions. The African continent, where poverty rates are high, is the region that feels the impacts of climate change most intensely in social and societal contexts. The purpose of addressing the social dimension of climate change is to minimize its adverse effects through a comprehensive approach. In this context, this study focuses on the social dimension of climate change and examines the Africa Climate Summit 2023 (ACS’23). The goal of this study is to shed light on the social dimension of climate change in Africa. This study argues that summits play a crucial role in setting agendas, addressing issues, and generating solutions within the framework of climate change. In this context, it seeks to answer questions such as; what the effects of climate change are in general, how it impacts societies on a social level, and what the positioning of this issue is in the ACS’23. To address these questions, a descriptive analysis method is employed, centering on the work of the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU), with a literature review. The results indicate that climate change has gained prominence in discourse at the global/regional level, but there have been delays in taking action. They also highlight the critical importance of sustainable policies and financial resources in addressing the (social) problems caused by climate change in the African continent. This study is expected to contribute to the academic literature -in Türkiye- by drawing more attention to the social issues in Africa as a result of climate change.

Keywords

Africa, summit, climate change, social dimension, sustainability

2023 AFRİKA İKLİM ZİRVESİ: İKLİM DEĞİŞİKLİĞİ VE SOSYAL BOYUT

Abstract

Sera gazı emisyonlarını artırıcı etkileri nedeniyle hızlanan iklim değişikliği; sistematik ve uzun süreli olarak, gezegenin iklim sisteminde meydana gelen değişiklikleri ifade etmektedir. Bu değişiklikler; şiddetli ve sık hava olaylarının artması, deniz seviyelerinin yükselmesi ile yüzey sıcaklıklarında artış gibi farklı etkilerle kendini göstermektedir. Çevresel bir sorunun ötesinde iklim değişikliğinin; siyasi, ekonomik ve sosyal boyutu bulunmaktadır. Yoksulluğun yüksek seyrettiği Afrika, toplumsal ve sosyal bağlamda iklim değişikliğinin etkilerini en yoğun hisseden bölge/kıtadır. Sosyal boyutta iklim değişikliğinin ele alınma amacı, bütüncül bir yaklaşımla olumsuz etkileri en aza indirmektir. Bu anlamda iklim değişikliğinin sosyal yönüne odaklanan çalışma, 2023 Afrika İklim Zirvesi’ni incelemektedir. Çalışmanın amacı, sosyal boyutuyla iklim değişikliğini Afrika özelinde ele almaktır. Çalışmada; gündem oluşturma, sorunların ele alınması ve çözüm üretilmesi çerçevesinde zirvelerin önemli olduğu savunulmaktadır. Bu minvalde; genel olarak iklim değişikliğinin etkileri nelerdir, sosyal olarak toplumları nasıl etkilemektedir, 2023 Afrika İklim Zirvesi’nde bu hususun konumlanışı ne durumdadır, sorularına cevap aranmaktadır. Bu bağlamda betimsel analiz yöntemi kullanılarak Birleşmiş Milletler (BM) ile Afrika Birliği’nin çalışmaları merkeze alınıp literatür taraması yapılmıştır. Sonuçlar; global/bölgesel düzeyde iklim değişikliğinin söylem bazında öne çıktığını, aksiyon almada gecikmeler yaşandığını, Afrika kıtasında iklim değişikliğinin sebep olduğu (sosyal) problemlere çözüm üretmede sürdürülebilir politikaların ve mali kaynak oluşturmanın kritik öneme sahip olduğunu göstermektedir. Çalışmanın; iklim değişikliğinin bir neticesi olarak, Afrika’daki sosyal sorunlara daha çok dikkat çekme noktasında -Türkiye’deki- akademik literatüre katkı sağlaması beklenmektedir.

Keywords

Afrika, zirve, iklim değişikliği, sosyal boyut, sürdürülebilirlik

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