The Royal Vision regarding the fight against the effects of climate change in Africa was highlighted on Wednesday in Addis Ababa during the consultations of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union (PSC-AU) concerning “the common African position on climate change, peace, and security.”
Speaking during these consultations, the Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Morocco to the African Union (AU) and the UN Economic Commission for Africa, Mohamed Arrouchi, reminded that Morocco has always mobilized for common African positions on environmental issues, emphasizing the Kingdom’s commitment, which is rooted both in the African policy of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, and in the Vision of active solidarity and collective responsibility that the Sovereign has consistently defended since the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992.
The diplomat also emphasized that Morocco is at the forefront of efforts to strengthen the climate resilience of African island states, notably through five concrete actions, including the organization of the 1st African Action Summit, on the sidelines of COP 22, which established several initiatives aimed at enhancing African resilience to climate threats, including the African Initiative for Adaptation, the African Agriculture Adaptation Initiative, as well as Security, Stability, and Sustainability (3S).
This also involves the creation of three African climate commissions, one of which is specifically dedicated to island states, and the organization, on the sidelines of COP 27, jointly with Seychelles, of a ministerial meeting on “Operationalizing the Climate Commission of Island States: towards realization and action,” with the aim of mobilizing members and partners around a roadmap outlining specific objectives to be achieved, he said.
Mr. Arrouchi also mentioned the establishment of the Climate Change Competence Center (4C) as a platform for capacity building and information exchange on climate disruption and advocacy for ensuring that any cooperation engaged with Africa necessarily includes a support approach for adaptation to climate requirements and advocacy that culminated in the development of a common African position, in partnership with the UN, following the organization of a regional dialogue on food systems in July 2021.
The ambassador further expressed his concern about the effects of climate change in Africa, noting that the continent is one of the most vulnerable in the world, even though it is among the least responsible for greenhouse gas emissions.
He pointed out that Africa, highly vulnerable to climate change, is experiencing various impacts of climate change, including drought and water stress, extreme weather events, declining agricultural productivity, deforestation and biodiversity loss, sea-level rise, impacts on public health, and climate migration.
Mr. Arrouchi also noted that to combat the effects of climate change in Africa, an integrated approach is essential, combining efforts at local, national, and international levels to mitigate impacts on populations and ecosystems.
In this regard, he presented to the AU PSC strategic recommendations that should be fundamental elements in designing the common African position on this matter, including investment in renewable energies, strengthening sustainable agriculture, water management and preservation, enhancing environmental policies, community adaptation and resilience, international financing and partnerships, promoting research and technological innovation, mobilizing civil society and youth, and sustainable urban planning.
The Moroccan delegation also emphasized the importance of integrated approaches that can help Africa face climate challenges, reducing its environmental impacts while promoting sustainable development, indicating that climate change remains a global challenge, but Africa can play a crucial role by implementing resilience strategies and encouraging sustainable development.