adminJeffrey Gogo
Climate Change
AROUND this time last year, over 9 000 people died in the Philippines, a poor developing nation in south-east Asia, following a violent tropical cyclone called Typhoon Bopha. A few weeks ago, disaster struck again as another cyclone left a trail of destruction and more than 10 000 people feared dead. Mass burials were initiated for many of those who died.
The financial and infrastructure costs arising from this damage are too ghastly to contemplate, but like many developing countries in Africa, the Philippines’ response to the cyclone lacked efficiency.
If it were not for outside help the situation could have been worse due to numerous limitations in disaster preparedness.
Although the relationship between climate change and cyclones is still a subject needing much research, the intensity and frequency of such events is only expected to worsen.
It is ironic that the Philippines’ cyclone disasters have hit, for the second straight year, exactly or nearly at the same time that world leaders will be meeting for the annual UN climate talks, which seek ways of reducing the emission of dangerous greenhouse gases and curb the growth and impacts of climate change.
This rare two-in-a-row cyclone coincidence is much more than just a coincidence, but a violent reminder to those gathered in Warsaw for the 19th Conference of the Parties meeting (COP19) that more solid action is required to protect the poor from the dangers of a changing climate.
It is a violent call to remembrance that any outcome, which does not result in or guarantee marked reductions in emissions, increased and dedicated funding for adaptation and mitigation or promote the transfer of technology, will be grossly unacceptable to Africa and the rest of the developing world.
The Philippines successive cyclones are the red light for greater ambitious action to those sitting pretty in Warsaw, if they care about us at all. There exists several other red lights across Africa and in the developing world which have been repeatedly ignored over many years.
While impact may vary due to geo-physics, for Africa, it is very easy to identify with (and it cannot afford not to) the climate challenges that have caused sleepless nights for the Philippines authorities.
Both have contributed very little to the growth of climate change, and despite that, both have remained bitter about the inadequacy of the outcomes from successive COP meetings.
Both feel hard done by those in the developed world, who are blamed for fuelling the science and yet doing very little about the chaos they manufactured.
Both have suffered, in an atmosphere of strained financial resources, the deadly impacts of an angry climate at a scale wider than that of the rich nations.
Now, as negotiators are locked down in discussions in Poland, another rude reminder of the need for urgent and strong climate action came from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) last week, which predicted worsening climate conditions in all regions of the world.
Among its key findings, the WMO says the year 2013 is currently on course to be among the top ten warmest years since modern records began in 1850.
The first nine months, January to September, tied with 2003 as the seventh warmest such period on record, with a global land and ocean surface temperature of about 0,48°C above the 1961-1990 average.
The effects of this temperature rise will ripple across Africa’s health systems, agriculture and precipitation, which could seriously affect food and livestock production.
Zimbabwe at Warsaw, so far
Speaking from Warsaw at COP19 last week, Zimbabwe’s climate change co-ordinator in the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate, Mr Washington Zhakata said the meetings had progressed well during the first week of negotiations, ahead of the decisive ministerial discussions this week.
He said the meetings were happening at a critical time, particularly in view of the destructive tropical cyclone that ravaged the Philippines, as mentioned above.
“We have started the negotiations here in Poland once again when we continue witnessing and experiencing the severity of extreme weather events that are more intense with increased frequency, resulting in losses of lives and distraction of property,” said Mr Zhakata.
“To say that we are at a critical point in the history of the world with regard to climate change is something of an understatement.
“There exists a negative trend in temperature change that threatens the entire world.
“There are countries whose very existence is under threat. Why? Because the global temperature has risen and the countries of the world, despite recognition of, and agreement on, the drastic changes needed to reduce carbon emissions, have not made the progress it should.”
Mr Zhakata said attention during the first week centred on building an agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change applicable to all parties by 2015, but only becoming effective in 2020, to replace the Kyoto Protocol as agreed at the last two COPs in Durban and Doha.
That agreement will focus on a target of limiting an increase in the global temperature to well below 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the 21st century, which is deemed by scientists as manageable. However, others are pushing for an even tight cap of only 1,5 degrees Celsius temperature increase.
“As Zimbabwe, it is our view that 2020 is a long way away,” he moaned.
“Countries need to build up mutual trust by ensuring that the Doha Climate Change Gateway delivers ambitious mitigation targets in the pre-2020 period.
“It is accepted universally that carbon dioxide emissions occur unevenly.
“The bulk of the emissions are caused by the industrial powerhouses of the world.
“This does not happen in the developing countries, yet we suffer the consequences of global warming as severely as the populations of the economic giants.”
Mr Zhakata added: “We are very much aware that our efforts will not be sufficient as game-changers in the fight against global warming without a strong, realistic and genuine commitment to targets by the developed countries.
“And, furthermore, to secure progress towards reaching our targets we need to be supported by scaled-up financing, advanced technology and capacity-building from the developed countries.
“This has to be a team effort with every player bringing to the game the appropriate level of resources.”
Climate change is not only a complex technical problem but also a moral and ethical challenge. It is a threat to the entire world and its population.
Mr Zhakata stressed that, in Poland, Zimbabwe will stand together united with the rest of Africa, acting decisively to secure the objective of the Convention and exercise a clear moral leadership in the negotiations “so that we secure a deal here that will preserve our environmental integrity and sustainable socio-economic development.”
Key positions for the current negotiations path for Zimbabwe and Africa include adaptation funding, establishment of an international to deal loss and damage arising the effects of climate change, availability of quick start and long-term finance and technology transfer among others.
Adaptation remains the biggest pressing need for the continent.
The 19th COP conference will close on November 22, if it does not stretch for an extra day as what happened last year.
God is faithful.
Online Reporter