Kenya's Judiciary said on Wednesday it will host a three-day pan-African conference for chief justices in December on the role of courts in combating climate change in the continent.

The Dec. 1-3 conference, whose theme is Greening Judiciary 2020, is a continent-wide initiative that focuses on building the capacity of judges to apply and enforce environmental laws and to promote the rule of law in environmental matters. 

"The judiciary leaders will also discuss constraints that hinder effective adjudication of climate change claims," the Judiciary said in a statement issued in Nairobi. 

It said the symposium, which will be held in Nairobi, targets chief justices, senior judges, judicial educators, heads of education institutions, practitioners and experts from the continent. 

"Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the delegates will have the option of attending physically or virtually," the Judiciary said.

Kenyan Chief Justice David Maraga will host a special session that will interrogate and provide guidance on how judiciaries and other key actors should promote climate-change-related adjudication in Africa, focusing on collaboration between the three arms of government.

According to the United Nations, climate change is one of the most pressing problems in Africa that pose serious health and economic challenges. 

The region is warming faster than the global average, with projections of a rise of 3-4 degrees Celsius this century and climate-sensitive diseases such as cholera, meningitis, malaria and Rift Valley fever likely to spread faster. 

The continent is severely affected by climate change as most African economies rely heavily on climate-sensitive economic sectors that are exposed to climate variability, droughts and floods.