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The 2024 African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) opened its doors on Thursday in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, marking the beginning of its tenth special session.
This gathering of African environmental ministers was a crucial prelude to the 29th Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP29), set to take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, in two months.
The two-day ministerial segment, themed ‘Raising Africa’s Ambition to Reduce Land Degradation, Desertification, and Drought,’ brought together delegates from across the continent, including Kenya’s Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry Cabinet Secretary, Aden Duale.
During the launch ceremony, Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, emphasized the importance of nature-based solutions. He urged for a shift in focus, advocating for the combination of biodiversity conservation and land restoration to combat nature loss. “It is time to flip the script, from potential climate tipping points to exponential changes in business, investment, and growth,” Stiell stated, underscoring the urgent need for transformative action.
On the sidelines of the conference, Peter Odhengo, head of climate finance and green economy at the Africa Green Climate Finance National Designated Authorities Network (AfDAN), addressed the media, highlighting the severe economic impact of the climate crisis in Africa. He likened the crisis to an economic sinkhole, draining the continent’s growth potential. Odhengo stressed that prioritizing climate action is essential to unlocking vast benefits for both urban and rural communities reliant on land fertility.
“Africans must rethink climate finance, whether in the form of commercial or concessional loans,” Odhengo argued. He questioned the morality of imposing taxes on vulnerable populations, such as an elderly woman in a village who cannot farm her land due to harsh climatic conditions, yet is expected to pay taxes on basic necessities like salt. “Isn’t that immoral?” he asked, poignantly highlighting the plight of those most affected by climate change.
The 10th special session of AMCEN, according to the Convention on Wetlands Organization, aims to elevate the issues of land degradation and desertification, seeking to garner greater political momentum for combating these pressing threats to Africa.
As the conference drew to a close on Friday, it reaffirmed its mandate to advocate for environmental protection across the continent. The ministers committed to ensuring that basic human needs are met in a sustainable manner, while also promoting social and economic development through sustainable agricultural practices, vital for achieving food security in Africa.
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