The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), says it will provide technical assistance to nine African cities in order to prevent climate change catastrophe.

The Executive Director of C40, Mr Mark Watts disclosed in Lagos on Tuesday during the unveiling of the “C40 Climate Action Planning Africa Programme” that the nine African cities include Lagos, Accra, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Durban, Johannesburg and Tshwane.

Watts said that the unveiling signified the official start of the C40’s Climate Action Planning (CAP) technical assistance programme in the African region.

He said that the CAP technical assistance programme would focus on building capacity for implementation of ambitious climate action.

According to him, the nine African cities would develop climate action plan that delivers on the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

“Accra, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Durban, Johannesburg, Lagos, and Tshwane have revealed their commitment to bold climate action and pledged to deliver on their share of the Paris Agreement. The CAP Africa programme will provide direct support to the nine African cities in developing unprecedented, robust and evidence-based long-term climate action plans that align with the ambitious objectives of the Paris Agreement.

“The support will include a dedicated city advisor based in each city, a series of workshops and access to expert technical advice as needed. Nairobi and Abidjan have also joined the programme and are anticipated to submit their climate action commitments soon,” Watts said.

He added that the Africa Programme was funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment; the Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the Cities Alliance and children’s Investment Fund Foundation.

Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode said that climate change was anticipated to have far-reaching effects on sustainable development of developing countries.

Represented by the Commissioner for the Environment, Mr Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, the governor said that the effects on developing countries were because they had fewer resources to adapt socially, technologically and financially.

He said that climate change had the potential to undermine sustainable development, increase poverty and delay or prevent the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

According to Ambode, concerted global action was needed to enable developing countries to adapt to the effects of climate change that is happening now and will worsen in the future.

“Capacity building at local, national and regional levels is therefore vital to enabling developing countries to adapt effectively to the effects of climate change. It is unarguable that the global economy will be adversely affected, if nothing is done to reverse or mitigate the slide towards the loss of the planet.

“This is a serious wakeup call to the threat that confronts the human race without discrimination. We are excited to be selected among the nine cities in Africa to be offered support, which include the offer of a C40 city advisor for up to three year. We are delighted with this support which we believe will further complement our efforts geared towards mitigating the effects of climate change and build a city that is resilient, healthy and livable for all,” he said.