Egypt expresses 'deep dissatisfaction' to Netherlands over embassy attack    Global pressure mounts as Gaza fighting intensifies and death toll surges    Egypt, India's BDR Group in talks to establish biologics, cancer drug facility    AUC graduates first cohort of film industry business certificate    At TICAD, Egypt's education minister signs pacts with Casio, SAPIX    Egypt holds special importance for our investments across diverse sectors: Japanese minister    Cairo, Tokyo sign LOI to expand educational cooperation, support for persons with disabilities    Madbouly invites Japanese firms to establish industrial zone in SCZONE    Egypt to tighten waste rules, cut rice straw fees to curb pollution    Al-Sisi meets Qatar PM, Bahrain security adviser to discuss Gaza crisis, regional stability    Indian tourist arrivals to Egypt jump 18.8% in H1-2025: ministry data    Egyptian pound down vs. US dollar at Monday's close – CBE    Egypt's FM, Palestinian PM visit Rafah crossing to review Gaza aid    Egypt prepares unified stance ahead of COP30 in Brazil    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Fitch Ratings: ASEAN Islamic finance set to surpass $1t by 2026-end    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Africa's stake in the climate-change debate

MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE: Across Africa, there are growing concerns, which the three of us share, that the continent is being marginalized in the major debates leading up to the COP15 climate-change summit in Copenhagen this month. While the main focus has been on the impact of climate-change mitigation on industrialized countries, the urgent adaptation needs of the world's poorest countries, in the face of possible catastrophe, have largely been ignored, at least in terms of concrete measures.
Perhaps the world needs reminding that Africa is the continent that contributes least to climate change, but must now live with its most serious consequences. The signs are already ominous. Weather patterns are changing; the rains, in certain areas, have been failing; and great swaths of the continent have been suffering unusually severe drought.
Africa's geographical position, sensitive water resources, unsustainable agricultural methods, and exploitation by foreign and other private companies increased its vulnerability. Deforestation for timber and energy precipitate erosion and reduce soil fertility. Conflict is increasing as communities compete for scarce resources. Indeed, the conflicts in Darfur, Somalia, and Côte d'Ivoire were partly caused by disputes over agricultural and grazing land.
Africa's potential can be harnessed only by adaptation to climate change, using disaster risk-reduction mechanisms. Moreover, parts of Africa possess massive latent potential for agricultural development, which it is in our collective interest to encourage. If communities can replant rather than deforest, they can create carbon-dioxide sinks, improve the water balance, and protect the micro-climate - all of which would favor agriculture, food security, and efforts to mitigate global climate change in a sustainable way.
Historically, Europe must shoulder much of the responsibility for Africa's current state of development. The slave trade, colonialism, and the flawed process of colonial divestment all left their mark on Africa's newly independent and fragile states. Now materialistic Europe and the developed world are imposing another disaster by on a struggling Africa through a life style of self-enrichment, consumption, and waste.
The African-European Parliamentary Dialogue on Climate Change was launched by AWEPA (the Association of European Parliamentarians for Africa) in cooperation with the Pan-African Parliament and other major parliamentary actors in Nairobi in August 2008. During follow-up meetings in Africa and Europe, concrete action plans with a special focus on Africa began to be developed.
Other Parliamentary networks such as GLOBE (Global Legislators Organization), PGA (Parliamentarians for Global Action), and PNOWB (the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank) are also participating. The aim is to put Africa high on the agenda at the Copenhagen summit.
The conclusion of the Dialogue will be presented to the Copenhagen summit in December. The African-European Parliamentary Seminar in Stockholm this August (Sweden is the current EU President) emphasized the need for an implementation strategy to ensure that commitments made at Copenhagen in such areas as the development of climate change-related policies and legislative reform, are fulfilled.
Similarly, AWEPA will work with African and European parliamentarians to ensure that international assistance for African adaptation is delivered and carefully monitored. It will also mobilize support for African parliamentarians, enabling them to work with their constituents in raising awareness, at a local level, of new sustainable agricultural policies that respond to changes in weather patterns and other consequences of climate change.
African countries, as parties to global negotiations, have crucial contributions to make to climate politics. But climate-change mitigation and adaptation are costly. European and other high-income countries, including the United States, must meet their obligation, in accordance with the "polluter pays principle, to provide Africa with new, accessible, dependable, and reliable funding to support mitigation and adaptation strategies in areas such as disaster risk reduction, renewable energy, technology, and skill development.
The position taken by the EU's national leaders this October, that developing nations would need ?100 billion worth of help annually by 2020 to cope with climate change, was an important step in the right direction. But those commitments are still vague given the fact that EU leaders failed to say how much of the funding would be coming from Europe. Therefore the real results of this EU agreement on climate funding remain to be seen.
The time has come for Europe, the US, and others to recognize their responsibilities concerning the impact of climate change on Africa. But, as they recognize their responsibilities, they must do so in ways that respect African priorities. This is simple justice.
Graça Machel is President of the AWEPA Partnership Council and Founder and President of the Foundation for Community Development in Mozambique; Wangari Maathai, President of the Green Belt Movement, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004; Mary Robinson, a former President of Ireland, is President of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative. This commentary is published by DAILY NEWS EGYPT in collaboration with Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org).


Clic here to read the story from its source.