By:Justicia Shipena
Environment, Forestry and Tourism Minister Pohamba Shifeta has called for more drought policies to be implemented.
Shifeta made the call during the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN).
The AMCEN’s nineteenth session was held in Addis Abba, Ethiopia, from August 14 – 18, 2023.
Shifeta emphasised that drought causes both immediate and long-term economic losses in a variety of economic sectors, including agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, water supply, manufacturing, energy generation, and tourism.
“More policies must be developed for appropriate drought management and proactive drought preparedness in many countries worldwide,” he said.
Shifeta believes that increased international collaboration is needed to assist all nations, particularly poor ones, in controlling droughts and creating resilience.
The Minister said Namibia considers that drought is one of the most serious crises confronting Africa.
Shifeta proposed a legally enforceable drought instrument at the United Nations Convention on Desertification (UNCCD) level is critical to boosting the importance of drought and improving funding allocation to drought as a stand-alone concern.
“We hope this will reach the desired output and results, which is the establishment of legally bidding drought policy instruments, including regional policy frameworks.”
The four-day gathering provided an opportunity to strengthen Africa’s collective engagement in the global environmental agenda, including various conferences of the parties to environmental agreements, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), and other multilateral processes related to combating climate change, desertification, loss of nature and biodiversity, and pollution.
Participants discussed the emerging opportunities for the continent’s sustainable development, as well as preparations for the upcoming COP28 in Dubaiin the United Arab Emirates, Africa’s summit, the sixth UN Environment Assembly, Africa’s participation in the development of an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution (INC process).
Other upcoming events that were under discussion included the UN Convention against Desertification and the International Conference on Chemicals Management.
The AMCEN was established in December 1985 as a result of a conference of African ministers of environment held in Cairo, Egypt.
Its mandate is to provide advocacy for environmental protection in Africa, to ensure that basic human needs are met adequately and in a sustainable manner, to ensure that social and economic development is realised at all levels, and to ensure that agricultural activities and practices meet the region’s food security needs.
“Namibia reviewed and supports all the critical environmental issues discussed during this conference and the decisions proposed. They are all very important for our continent and proposed decisions will ensure sustainable development of our respective countries and the entire planet earth, if they are well implemented,” Shifeta said.
He stated that Namibia would continue to advocate for the development and adoption of a drought protocol, and will seek assistance from African nations and other like-minded Parties in doing so throughout the preparations for and at the forthcoming UNCCD COP 16.
Shifeta staated that Namibia agrees that AMCEN should support the proposal of the Heads of State and Government to draft a declaration for discussion and potential adoption by the Heads of State and Government asking for the negotiation and approval of a drought protocol.