The Net Times: COP22: Vulnerable countries adaptation debated on the margins of the UNGA

Saturday, September 24, 2016

COP22: Vulnerable countries adaptation debated on the margins of the UNGA

New York, September 22, 2016: The COP22 steering committee organized a side-event on adaptation in the least developed countries, this afternoon at United Nations headquarters in New York. The event was chaired by Nizar Baraka, COP22 Scientific Committee President, and in the presence of Salaheddine Mezouar, COP22 President.

The event, organized on the margins of the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, included the participation of Khaled Fahmy, Minister of the Environment of Egypt, Mohamed Ait Kadi, President of the General Council of Agriculture Development and Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director of the United Nations Organization for Food and Agriculture (FAO).

The meeting was the occasion to highlight the issue of adaption in the least developed countries, in particular in Africa and Asia. These regions of the world are considered to be the most impacted by the effects of climate change. They rarely possess the resources and capacity needed to address global warming. The question around aid and assistance to these countries will be debated in Marrakech during COP22 this November.

High-level events will also be organized in Marrakech to address the issue according to Nizar Baraka who explained, "We will organize a high-level meeting on climate finance and the construction of a common vision to encourage private capital to invest in adaptation."

As for Mohamed Ait Kadi, he declared that, "The international community is conscious of the urgency of the question of adaptation. The conference in Marrakech will be the ideal opportunity to create an ecosystem for adaptation in agriculture."

The African dimension will be strongly present at COP22. One of the objectives of the conference will be to bring convincing solutions to specific problems of the continent. "The estimated cost of adaptation in Africa is extremely high," according to Khaled Fahmy.

Finally, according to Maria Helena Semedo, "It's imperative to arrive in Marrakech with operational measures, because COP22 will be the conference of action and implementation."