SANF 07 No 49 – by Clever Mafuta
“Climate change is not a northern issue, neither is it a southern issue. It is not an issue for just the developed world nor is it an issue for only the developing world. It is a global issue,” said Koffi Annan in his special address to the European Development Days held recently in Lisbon, Portugal.
Annan, who is the former Secretary General of the United Nations, warned that the world has been complacent for a long time.
“For far too long we have considered climate change as a problem for the future. But we must remember that climate change is an all encompassing threat. It is not an issue of rich versus poor. It’s a global issue and we are seeing its effects everywhere,” said Annan.
Annan’s statement was echoed by Saleem Huq, the International Institute for Environment and Development’s Head of Climate Change Group, when he told the delegates to the European Development Days that “Today is not time to seek personal or national interests, nor is it time to seek to be elected or re-elected into office by politicians. Now is the time to place global interests high on the agenda in dealing with climate change”.
While the specifics of climate change are unclear, two general trends in southern Africa are discernable.
Firstly, heavy rainfalls and droughts are likely to become more frequent and severe, but an accurate prediction of these events remains difficult.
Secondly, in the longer term, rises in temperature are expected to have negative impacts on crop yield and areas of cultivable land.
Nearly all future scenarios indicate that Africa is expected to be worst hit. Some models predict up to a nine percent decrease in potential agricultural land by the 2080s and reductions in yield of up to 10 percent and 18 percent for cereals and maize, respectively by 2050.
Climate change is real. It is a global issue with catastrophic consequences. Therefore, the interests and livelihoods of present and future generations should be placed high on the global agenda, as the world inches closer to the Bali meeting where the climate change debate will once again be on centre stage.
It is hoped that the Bali discussions in December 2007 will result in the revision of the Kyoto Protocol so as to address new challenges brought about by climate change.
The Kyoto Protocol was adopted at the third Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It shares the objective and institutions of the Convention. The major distinction between the two, however, is that while the Convention encouraged developed countries to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions, the Protocol commits them to do so
“The climate change situation will sink humanity. The difference is only when this will happen. Some will sink earlier than others,” Huq warned.
The present climate change situation is a result of the quest to develop. While most assessments have pointed blame on climate change to the unsustainable development paths by the developed world, recent findings also point to the fact that even developing countries are becoming major players in the generation of greenhouse gases.
Speaking at the same meeting in Lisbon, Achim Steiner, the UN Environment Programme Executive Director, highlighted that of the top five countries in the generating most of the greenhouse gases, three are developing countries. These are Brazil, India and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their contribution comes from unsustainable practices, which include deforestation and land degradation.
Steiner warned that not much of the Kyoto provisions are being followed. For example, despite commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, emissions have actually increased by as much as 35 percent.
Such trends in greenhouse gas generation point to the need for global partnerships, whereby individuals and countries should move away from apportioning blame but to work in concerted efforts to manage climate change.
Both the developed and developing countries must ensure that they use clean technologies. Developing countries must not emulate consumption patterns followed by the developed world as these have been proven to be damaging to the environment.
The European Development Days is an annual event which seeks to enhance public awareness about development cooperation between the European Union and partners across the world.
The 2007 edition of the European Development Days came against the background of rising concerns and debates about the urgent need to address the challenges posed by climate change to Europe’s development cooperation strategies and activities worldwide.
In his welcoming remarks to delegates, Louis Michel, the European Commissioner for development and humanitarian assistance, applauded the event as it provides an opportunity for inclusive dialogues.
“We are convinced that bringing together all actors from Europe and its partners involved in development helps to improve our ideas, working methods and delivery. The informal and open nature of the event is intended to demonstrate our ability to promote inclusive multi-stakeholder dialogues. As such, the European Development Days serve as a natural platform for launching new initiatives to enhance the synergies we experience in our everyday work”.
The 2008 European Development Days will focus on “Decentralisation: the role of local authority organisations”.sardc.net
