Climate change fundamental threat to sustainable development, says Guyana minister
|
| Published on Thursday, July 17, 2008 |
Email To Friend Print Version |
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (GINA): In echoing the arguments of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries about the impact of climate change on Caribbean economies, Guayana's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues told the Sixth United Kingdom/Caribbean forum, which opened this week in London, that the phenomenon is now among the most fundamental threats to the sustainable development and even existence of the Caribbean region.
The two-day forum’s first session dealt with sustainable development as it relates to climate change and eco-tourism and the Minister pointed out that both (climate change and eco-tourism) have maintained a prominent place on national, regional and international agendas in keeping with development aspirations and with the region’s overarching desire to achieve international objectives including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the 2015 target date.
“Small states, like those in the Caribbean, cannot promote sustainable development on their own and without the assistance of friendly and like-minded states. This is because there are special challenges which face small states as a group,” she said.
It was noted that among the challenges facing Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are the fact that some are low-lying coastal states (such as Belize, Guyana and Suriname), small populations, susceptibility to natural disasters, excessive dependence on international trade and vulnerability to global developments.
“These states also suffer from added setbacks such as a lack of economies of scale and high transportation and communication costs,” the Minister emphasised.
In alluding to articles 4.8 and 4.9 of the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCC), the Foreign Affairs Minister said Least Developed Countries and SIDS are the most vulnerable to the adverse impact of climate change through hurricane and flood ravages which have become more intense and frequent as a result of changing weather patterns.
“Unfortunately, while the Caribbean contributes little to adversely affect the climate, it feels the brunt of these adverse impacts…some countries in the Caribbean, such as Guyana and Suriname, with large forest cover, contribute positively to a cleaner environment through the eco-system services they provide,” she said.
On this note, it was explained that CARICOM has remained committed to putting programmes in place and implementing initiatives to confront the threats. One such initiative was noted to be the Mauritius Strategy, derived from the Barbados Plan of Action review that sought to build the region’s capacity to identify and implement appropriate climate change adaptation actions. These actions have resulted in projects such as the Caribbean Planning for Adaptation to Climate Change.
“CARICOM Heads have reaffirmed the importance of reviewing and strengthening adaptation policies. It is essential that these and other issues of importance to the Caribbean be advanced in the negotiations for a post-Kyoto framework and we welcome the efforts being made by the United Kingdom in the context of its membership in the Group of Eight in advancing efforts for the successful realisation of a comprehensive post 2012 Kyoto agreement,” Minister Rodrigues contended while expressing the hope that the framework would holistically address the challenges associated with climate change.
She emphasised that one important aspect of achieving sustainable development is financing development, which is an urgent need of SIDS.
“It entails the need for the emphatic understanding and willingness of the more affluent developed countries to be part of the process in tangible ways. At the same time developing states recognise the important role they must play in contributing to their own development and have formulated National Development Strategies to address this objective,” Rodrigues pointed out.
With this in mind, she expressed appreciation for the British Government’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in October last between the Caribbean Climate Change Centre and the British Department for International Cooperation which provides for DFID to fund the development of a regional Strategic Plan for Climate Change.
“We have noted with interest, Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s proposal for the establishment of a new global climate change agreement with the United Nations at the centre and with binding targets for all developed countries-the halving of global emissions by 2050 and new incentives for developing and emerging economies with a view to assist them to reduce their growth in emissions through new flows of financial technology,” the Foreign Affairs Minister told the forum.
The Minister said CARICOM looks forward to discussions with the UK on ways in which they could work jointly to advance these positions.
She outlined the Iwokrama forest initiative in Guyana and also alluded to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Uganda last year where a plan was announced that would place the countries’ standing forests at the disposal of the Global Campaign against Climate Change while earning carbon credits to assist in national development.
Rodrigues also made reference at the forum to the steps taken by CARICOM at a recent meeting for the initiation of a Regional Tourism Investment Fund and the UK’s support for the Fund.
She concluded by expressing the hope that the forum would provide the opportunity for the countries to advance practical measures for cooperation in the areas she outlined and noted that CARICOM is looking forward to the support of the UK as the countries work to fulfill their sustainable development goals.
President Bharrat Jagdeo has long been advocating that countries with intact standing rainforests receive monetary compensation for the services these forests provide to the rest of the world as they store large amounts of carbon. | | | | Reads : 59 |
|
