World Bank chief calls for $16 billion for Africa climate change help

WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 (UPI) -- The chief of the World Bank called for a $16 billion effort to help Africa adapt to climate change.

Jim Yong Kim, World Bank president, said that although Africa emits only three percent of the world's current greenhouse gas emissions, it will be affected more than elsewhere by a rise in global temperature. The World Bank's Africa Climate Business plan, to be revealed next week at a climate summit meeting in Paris, said Africa needs to spend up to $10 billion per year, immediately, to adapt to a two-degree Celsius rise in global temperature, and more if temperatures go higher.

The summit aims to find consensus on limiting temperature increases to two degrees. The World Bank will commit to providing $5.7 billion, or one-third, of the projected costs.

"Sub-Saharan Africa is highly vulnerable to climate shocks, and our research shows that could have far-ranging impact on everything from child stunting and malaria to food price increases and droughts," Kim said.

The study found 43 million people in Africa could fall into extreme poverty by 2030, through droughts, malnutrition and rising food prices.

Kim acknowledged a solution to climate change will not be simple, but noted the resolve of summit participants is different from those of 2009, when a conference in Copenhagen collapsed amid anger and blame.

"There's not a single country in the world that wants to be the stumbling block to getting to an agreement," he said.