UN Climate Change News, 10 May 2022 - The UN's top climate change official Patricia Espinosa today called on governments and all key stakeholders to urgently build resilience against the growing and increasingly severe environmental disasters throughout the world. And she called on countries to submit detailed plans about how they intend to build resilience to desertification and climate change.
The UNFCCC Executive Secretary joined leaders in Abidjan at the Conference of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP15. The meeting is taking place against the backdrop of a stark warning issued by the UNCCD that up to 40% of all ice-free land is already degraded, with dire consequences for climate, biodiversity and livelihoods.
According to the UN, land degradation undermines the well-being of some 3.2 billion people. Unsustainable land use, agriculture and soil management practices are all major drivers of desertification, land degradation and drought.
Under the theme 'Land. Life. Legacy: From scarcity to prosperity', the two-week conference aims to spearhead global efforts towards land restoration and drought management as important elements of sustainable development.
"Whether we're talking about extreme weather events, ecosystem collapse, species extinction, drought or desertification, they all have one common root: they're driven by human activity," Ms. Espinosa said.
Highlighting the interconnectivity between UN Climate Change and its two sister conventions - (link is external) UNCCD and the Convention on Biodiversity ((link is external) CBD) - she underlined the need to address environmental challenges in an integrated manner and to build resilience to them: "That's our question today: how do we get from disaster to resilience?" she added.
With a focus on restoring one billion hectares of degraded land between now and 2030, the conference aims to contribute to future-proofing land against the climate impacts, and tackling escalating disaster risks such as droughts, sand and dust storms, and wildfires.
National Adaptation Plans essential to build resilience
Ms. Espinosa encouraged nations to complete National Adaptation Plans to support global resilience-building efforts, a major focus area in the lead up to the UN Climate Change Conference COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in November.
"Due to location and importance, COP27 will have a special focus on adaptation and on issues specifically relevant to Africa," Ms. Espinosa said, adding "In many ways, humanity will be defined by developments in Africa in the coming decades." The continent's population is expected to double by 2050 and will then be home to at least 25% of the world's population.
Many African nations are currently facing unprecedent soil and land conservation issues. For example, (link is external) drought in Ethiopia - the country's worst in 40 years - is believed to be worsening the already deteriorating humanitarian situation for around 3.5 million people, more than half the local population.
And according to a (link is external) report released last year by the Food and Agriculture Organization ((link is external) FAO), up to 65% of Africa's productive soils and agricultural land are degraded, while desertification affects 45% of the continent's land overall.
More than a dozen heads of state and government, ministers and at least 2,000 delegates from 196 countries and the European Union are expected to attend the two-week Conference that ends Friday, 20 May 2022.
See full address by Patricia Espinosa below:
Colleagues,
It's a pleasure to join this COP high-level segment.
UN Climate Change deeply values the close relationship with our sister Conventions, the Convention to Combat Desertification and the Convention on Biodiversity.
We were born in the Rio Conference in 1992 and, in many ways, share one agenda: sustainable development.
Actually, 30 years ago yesterday, the UNCCC was adopted.
Whether we're talking about extreme weather events, ecosystem collapse, species extinction, drought or desertification, they all have one common root: they're driven by human activity.
Activity that increasingly threatens lives, livelihoods, nature and the well-being of all living things on this planet.
Disaster, in this case, is a fitting word.
But it's only one part of the story of addressing our environmental challenges in an integrated and comprehensive manner. Of how we build resilience.
That's our question today: how do we get from disaster to resilience?
Before we begin our discussion, I'll break the ice and share a few ideas from a UN Climate Change perspective.
Like all environmental disasters, drought is an issue that has increased in frequency and severity throughout the world due to climate change.
Addressing it means focusing on three areas: mitigation, adaptation and finance. Let me focus on these last two.
Finance
Achievement of the goals of the three Conventions requires substantial increases in investment and finance - not only in climate action that supports, protects, and restores land, but that is also positive for biodiversity.
But we must amplify our voices. While the finance seems to be available, the willingness to invest is another issue.
Nations are already returning to a post-COVID "business-as-usual" economic focus - one based on traditional energy use.
We must send a stronger message that this moves us in the wrong direction.
It's devoid of any realistic reading of what will drive future markets and it is a bad investment in humanity's future.
Climate change is the biggest emergency we face - one tied to drought, biodiversity and virtually every major challenge humanity faces.
While the public and the private sectors have made some progress, if we look beyond specific climate investments, often those same investors are holding portfolios heavily dependent on traditional energy sources.
My message is that all finance, all investment - and for that matter all policies, programs and regulations by government - need to be considered through a lens of resilience and sustainability - full stop.
It's the only way to build our future prosperity.
We've seen the rise of clean energy, of clean jobs, of the opportunities that come with a resilient future.
These are successful examples of how this transformation can take place, how planning with ambitious objectives opens economic opportunities and contributes to our goals.
But we must see better and faster progress.
Adaptation
We can also do more to support global resilience-building efforts together under National Adaptation Plans.
Encouraging all nations to complete these vital plans is a major focus area as we work towards COP27.
We are also working with Parties to define a global goal for adaptation.
This will allow us to identify the collective needs and solutions for the climate impacts already happening.
In fact, due to location and importance, COP27 will have a special focus on adaptation and on issues specifically relevant to Africa.
This is only fitting. In many ways, humanity will be defined by developments in Africa in the coming decades.
Africa's population is expected to double by 2050 and will be home to at least 25% of the world's population.
Today, 40% of all Africans are children under the age of 14 and in most African countries the median age is below 20.
Issues around sustainable development and adaptation in Africa are not African issues - they are the world's issues.
Let's work together to ensure issues around drought, desertification, biodiversity and more are reflected at COP27 and in the adaptation plans.
Colleagues,
Our three conventions are complementary.
While I've provided some ideas that can hopefully spur some discussion on how we build resilience, I also want to hear from all of you.
Meanwhile, I assure you that UN Climate Change will continue to do its part and collaborate with you to build a more sustainable and resilient future.
Thank you.
