Climate change: funding Africa's defence.

I was very impressed by your recent coverage of the global warming issue and how it will disproportionately impact the African continent (African Business May 2007 issue).

As Africa is probably the global region that is least able to deal with the inevitable consequences of climate change, there is a strong case for our leaders to act now and insist that the international community, as well as cutting emissions, lend adequate assistance to Africa to deal with the impact of ever more erratic weather patterns, droughts, heat-waves, famines and extreme storms.

Funding is the key here, and is it not just natural justice that Africa should look to the West, the wealthy industrialised nations, to contribute to a fund for the continent that can mitigate the catastrophic social upheavals this phenomena is going to cause?

After all, practically all scientists agree that global warming and climate change are caused by the release of greenhouse gases, principally carbon dioxide. The main emitters have been the rich countries of the industrialised world. It was their industries that created the problem; it should be their economies that pay for the consequences.

I believe the African Union must raise the debate now, while there is still time. Then a fund should be established where every nation of the developed industrialised world pays a fair contribution towards protecting the world's poorest and most vulnerable citizens from the impending disaster. Is this a feasible suggestion?

Aaron Emananjo

Katsina, Nigeria