RWANDA: ARFSD calls for enhanced measures in addressing Climate change issues ahead of Africa-COP27
By Justin KAYIRANGA
Members of Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD) and environmental activists say that there are concerns that climate change issues, in developing countries, could be ignored, due to the rush to economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.
The strike of COVID-19 in the World has caused a significant loss/reduction, in terms of revenues, among developing countries and recovering from that state of affairs appear to be ignoring the addressing of the climate crisis which remain a major threat for the continent.
In a conference that is being held in Kigali-Rwanda from 1-5 March 2022, climate activists, who are convened in a Pre Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, are discussing how this issue of climate change can be considered among priority issues to be addressed on the continent.
The conference is presumed to set ground to prepare for the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference Of Parties (COP27) which will take place in Egypt this year.
Speaking to Top Africa News, Mithika Mwenda, the Executive Director of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), said that “Africa is the most impacted continent according to science and climate justice, and so when such conference (COP27) is taking place in Africa, it becomes critical for us to reflect on what it means for africans and what gains do we have to push our African agenda, priorities and aspirations.”
Though the coming of COP27 to Africa is considered to be critical path to tackling Climate change issues on the continent, Augustine Njamnshi, the Chair, Political and Technical Committee of PACJA, adding that without resources, emphasises that Africa will not be able to achieve it unless that “those who have the resources do not see things in the same way as we, in Africa do,”
There is a need for enhanced measures towards climate change in Africa.
According to Mithika, the time has come for governments to change their approach to climate change from policies and plans to implementation.
“Governments have that tendency of agreeing strategy after strategy, plans after plan but when it comes to implementation it is zero” Says Mithika.
He continued saying that “What we are saying is that we want to focus on implementation. What we discuss, including the civil society, is not a talk show or strategies but it is about what we do on that strategy”
Climate change is accelerating and intensifying across every region of the planet, bringing with it increases in rainfall, flooding, drought, heatwaves and sea levels that are already having significant implications for economies around the world.
The ARFSD is an annual multi-stakeholder platform organized jointly by the United Nations Economic Commission of Africa (ECA) and the Host Government in collaboration with the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank and other entities of the United Nations System. It brings together Ministers, senior officials, experts and practitioners from UN member States, private sector, civil society, academia and UN organisations.
This forum is one of the three mechanisms mandated to follow-up, review and catalyse actions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by UN member States in September 2015.
