Personal Climate Impact Story - Lake Chad

• Speaker's childhood experience walking shores of Lake Chad, one of Africa's largest lakes
• Lake originally spanned 4 countries: Chad, Niger, Cameroon, Nigeria
• Supported 30 million people's livelihoods
• Current state: 90% of freshwater basin dried up
• Impact: millions of livelihoods lost (farmers, fisherfolk, market women)
• Climate change identified as primary cause

Extreme Weather Escalation - Harmattan Winds

• Harmattan season traditionally 3 months of dust and wind
• Farmer testimony: dust storms arriving earlier and bigger annually
• Single storm can destroy entire year's crop overnight
• Human/ecological costs:
  • Job losses
  • Hunger
  • Family displacement
  • Crushing poverty
  • Violence and extremism growth
• Lake Chad basin becomes fertile ground for extremists

Global Climate Crisis Context

• Similar devastation worldwide: droughts, floods, wildfires
• Lives and livelihoods in jeopardy globally
• Tipping towards catastrophe

Paris Agreement Framework

• UN Paris Agreement aims to limit global heating to 1.5°C
• Drives 17 Sustainable Development Goals for people and planet
• Required actions for success:
  • Decarbonize global economy by 2050
  • Halve emissions this decade
  • Make coal history:
    • Rich countries phase out by 2030
    • Other countries by 2040
  • G20 responsibility: produces 80% of greenhouse gas pollution
  • Stop trillions in fossil fuel subsidies
  • Provide resources for just green and blue transition

Great Green Wall Project

• African initiative launched decade ago at Sahara edge
• Geographic scope: Senegal (West) to Djibouti (Horn of Africa)
• Objectives:
  • Stop desertification
  • Restore 100 million hectares degraded lands
  • Plant 100 million trees
  • Improve water harvesting and land use
• Climate benefits: enormous carbon sequestration
• Economic impact: green economic corridor for 500+ million people
• Social benefits:
  • Local value chain building
  • Strengthened economies
  • Young workforce development
  • Hope creation reduces terrorism/extremism space

Human Potential Amplification

• Indigenous knowledge integration for nature harmony
• Technology harnessing for renewable energy access
• Special focus on women and girls
• Food system transformation for healthier people and planet

Implementation Barriers and Solutions

• Primary need: funding ("Money, more money")
• Paris Agreement commitment: $100 billion annually from rich countries
• Unfinished business requiring urgent action
• Solidarity requirement:
  • Historical precedent: Paris Agreement creation
  • Montreal Protocol success (ozone layer healing)
  • Need to rekindle spirit now

Call to Action

• Window of opportunity closing but not too late
• People's voices create urgent chorus leaders cannot ignore
• Climate action chorus growing but inconsistent
• Everyone is planetary citizen regardless of role
• Demand leaders act on 1.5°C promise
• Time for "serious noise" to transform world

Future Vision

• Current young girl (Kolu, Aisha, Fatima) walking Lake Chad shores
• Two possible futures:
  • Ocean of opportunity
  • Wasteland of dust
• Choice belongs to leaders and global citizens
• Individual and collective action required