MARRAKECH, Morocco (PAMACC News) - Water experts have called for more attention to water by governments as a way of providing solutions to help implement the Paris Climate Change Agreement. Organisers of the the Action Day for Water at the ongoing UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakech (COP22), which is the first time in the history of UN Climate Change Conferences (COPs), created through the Global Climate Action Agenda noted that countries have identified water as a key to adaptation in 93% of their national climate action plans (Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). As water is fundamental for food security, human health, energy production, industrial productivity, biodiversity, in addition to basic human needs and its availability, ensuring water security means ensuring security in all these domains. In addition, water is critical for successful climate change mitigation, as many efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions depend on reliable access to water resources. Countries have identified water as a key to adaptation in 93 per cent of their national climate action plans (Intended Nationally Determined Contributions, or "INDCs"). As water is fundamental for food security, human health, energy production, industrial productivity, biodiversity, in addition to basic human needs and its availability, ensuring water security means ensuring security in all these domains. In addition, water is critical for successful climate change mitigation, as many efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions depend on reliable access to water resources. Systematically addressing these challenges is, therefore, key to adapting to climate change and reducing the negative impacts of water-related disasters. The "Blue Book on Water and Climate" was also launched by the Moroccan government and its partners as a concrete outcome of its interim International Conference on Water and Climate, hosted in Rabat in July 2016, in cooperation with the Government of France and the World Water Council. The publication collects the orientations and recommendations brought forth by the international water community to support the implementation of climate commitments and proposes a variety of concrete and applicable solutions related to adaptation and resilience through water management. "This aligns perfectly with COP22, which is striving to be a COP of action. Now, we need to realise what is at stake, since water insecurity leads to increased conflicts, tension between populations, and also provokes migration that threatens overall stability," said Mrs Charafat Afailal, Minister Delegate in charge of Water of Morocco. The leaders noted that climate justice is also a priority of the Water Action Day, as evidenced by the launching of the "Water for Africa" initiative, established by the Kingdom of Morocco and supported by the African Development Bank. The initiative aims to render justice to Africa through the adoption of a specific action plan that will mobilise different international political, financial and institutional partners to improve water and sanitation services and management in Africa, for those most affected by climate change. "While humanity experiences increasing demographic and socio-economic stresses, recent episodes of extreme climate around the world bring additional complexities in finding solutions to reduce these…

NAIROBI, Kenya (PAMACC News) - Agricultural experts and leaders from all over the world have developed an ambitious plan to transform global agriculture, responding to the challenge of climate change and real threats to the production of the planet’s major crops in a hotter world.This is an outcome of a recent roundtable interaction held in Nairobi seeking to create a roadmap that will implement the Global Action Plan for Agricultural Diversification (GAPAD), which is a declaration agreed upon by world leaders during the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP 21) in Paris in December 2015.The GAPAD initiative had earlier been designed to support the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030, and to responds to the Declaration on Agriculture Diversification before it was adopted by the United Nations in September 2015. “Currently, over 7 billion people depend on just four major crops to supply three-quarters of their food,” said Dr Dennis Rangi, the Director General, Development, at the CAB International. And according to studies, the population is projected to reach 9 billion by 2050. “It is therefore becoming increasingly accepted that in a hotter world, options for agricultural diversification are needed that include a wider range of crops and cropping systems,” said Rangi, noting that there is need for increased species diversity and more resilient agricultural ecosystems that include new crops for food and non-food uses. The GAPAD initiative is therefore addressing six of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 2 ‘zero hunger’, 7 ‘affordable and clean energy’, 12 ‘responsible consumption and production’, 13 ‘climate action’, 15 ‘life on land’ and 17’ partnerships for the goals’. Agricultural diversification will also eventually contribute to achieving SDG 1on ‘no poverty’.Among the leaders and experts who deliberated on the initiative included representatives from the African Union Commission (AUC), the Sustainable Development Goals Centre for Africa and the Australian High Commission, representatives from research and development organisations and a host of journalists drawn from different media organisations. According to Ruth Oniang’o, a Kenyan Professor in Food Science and Nutrition, agricultural diversification can improve nutrition, enhance food security and help alleviate poverty amongst other benefits.The experts have therefore developed GAPAD targets based on each of the eight SDG2 targets but focused on the role of agricultural diversification, and have identified the priority activities needed to achieve these targets.The next step will involve a small group of eminent, respected and highly qualified individuals who will distil and refine the output of the Nairobi roundtable, and integrate these with the distilled and refined outputs from the roundtables that addressed the other five SDGs being addressed by GAPAD. The result is expected to be a compelling, credible, inclusive, authoritative and investable global plan for agricultural diversification in a hotter world, which has the support of all the relevant institutions. It is anticipated that GAPAD will be formally launched in mid-2017. At the same time the bold plan for agricultural diversification will be submitted to the secretariat of UNSDA 2030. In the meantime, GAPAD will seek to build a…

MARRAKECH, Morocco (PAMACC News) - The African Working Group on Gender and Climate Change has identified gender integration as a key component to the continent’s implementation of the Paris Agreement (PA). Chairperson of National Gender and Equality Commission of the African Working Group on Gender and Climate Change, Winfred Lichuma said integration is much more meaningful and could lead to positive results as opposed to mainstreaming, which has largely dominated the gender discourse, but with minimal impact. “To achieve the required responsiveness, we need to move from gender mainstreaming to integration as it is much more deeper and addresses the inadequacies noted especially at implementation of policies and strategies,”Lichuma told delegates at a side event at COP 22 where an analysis of the PA and gender in Africa was presented. Lichuma explained that integration would ensure that the excluded gender is involved at all levels as opposed to their needs just being mainstreamed in policies and strategies. Highlighting Agriculture which is believed to be the main source of Africa’s emissions and largely dominated by women, Lichuma bemoaned the failure by the Paris Agreement to include more explicit recognition of the gender dimension. And representing the Nigerian Minister of Environment on the panel, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC country focal point, Peter Tarfa said ignoring the gender dimension especially women in the implementation of the Paris Agreement would be suicidal. “Climate Change vulnerability is more pronounced among women who are in the majority in most countries, and should be involved especially on critical issues such as climate finance,” said Dr. Tarfa, adding that Nigeria is reviewing its National Climate Change Policy to make gender inclusivity more visible. Meanwhile, representing the African Union Commissioner, Olushola Olayidehad some good news for theAfrican Working Group on Gender and Climate Change, announcing that the African Union’s Climate Change Strategy is almost ready to be tabled for adoption. “The AU Climate Change Strategy is almost ready, and will soon be tabled to the high level organ for adoption. I therefore encourage you to keep pushing the gender agenda at the negotiating table and ensure that it is part of the strategies for the implementation of the Paris Agreement,” she said. Africa’s Agenda 2063 has a clear aspiration on gender, which is linked to youth development as the two have been identified key components to unlock Africa’s development potential. Representing youths, Zambia’s Abel Musumali of Green Enviro Watch said “the implementation of the Paris Agreement will not be possible without women and youths” saying the two have a symbiotic relationship of mother and child, and are usually the face of climate change vulnerability in Africa. And Tabi Joda, another youth ambassador on climate change concluded that a well-developed Agricultural system which accommodates the young people’s innovations, is the solution to youth and women vulnerability to climate change. “Women and youth carry the burden of Africa’s poverty, destitution but the solution lies in empowering these two groups with agricultural solutions that work; all it requires…

MARRAKECH, Morocco (PAMACC News) - Deliberations at the ongoing COP22 climate conference in Marrakech took a different turn today as delegates shifted focus to the nexus between water and climate change in celebration of the first Water Day at the COP.Organized for the first time in the history of UN Climate Change Conferences, the Action Day for Water at the ongoing UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakech (COP22) created through the Global Climate Action Agenda calls for more attention to water as a way of providing solutions to help implement the Paris Agreement.The action day which is dedicated to discussing the relationship between water issues and climate change-positioning and to raise its profile in the relevant negotiations, attracted large number of participants from Government delegations, international organisations, civil society and media.At the first session which centred on the “Water for Africa” initiative, panellists which included Water and Sanitation Ministers from Morocco, Burkina Faso and Niger as well as the Water and Sanitation Director of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Mohammed El Aziziidentified water as a critical element for successful climate change mitigation, as many efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions depend on reliable access to water resources.Highlighting Africa’s water-related challenges within the climate context, NiougaAmbroiseOuedraogo, Burkina Faso’s Water and Sanitation Minister regretted that as much as most impacts of climate change in Africa are linked to droughts, floods and sea level rise, many African states still have problems accessing multilateral funds with no capacity to prepare proposals for bankable projects.Reiterating AfDB’s commitment to boosting the capacity of African states to access predictable and fast-tracked financing mechanism to cope with climate-induced water stress, El Azizihighlighted the bank’s constant focus on integrated water resources management, improved transboundary integration and planning, and proactive innovative approaches and projects that are assisting African states to adapt to the impacts of climate change.Some of such projects which cut across all African sub-regions according to El Azizi are the Thwake multi-purpose water resources development project in Kenya which mainstreams climate resilience by improving water security through the construction of dam, irrigation schemes and water supply, the Yaoundé urban drainage project in central Africa, and the Niger Basin HYCOS Project which promotes effective management of water resources through quality hydrological data and information in west African states.Others according to the AfDB water chief who also doubles as the Director of the African Water Facility (AWF) are the detailed plan of the Songwe River Basin Development Programme in Southern Africa which envisions a conducive environment for transboundary water resources through flood control planning and climate proofing in the Songwe river basin between Malawi and Tanzania,and the Rabat-Cassablancaand Marrakech region projects which involve water transfer from surplus basins to deficit basins in the north African country of Morocco.At the Global Climate Action Dialogue on Water which rounded off the Water Day celebration, Parties and the non-Parties explored sustainable initiatives on Water and socio-economic development, financing mechanism to increase ambitions related to adaptation and mitigation of water field, and Improving knowledge,…