Mudenda attends another high level climate change workshop

SPEAKER of Parliament, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, is in Namibia to participate at a high-level regional panel workshop focused on enhancing climate resilience in Southern Africa following the conclusion of a similar engagement he attended in Angola last week.

While in Angola, Adv Mudenda, who also paid a courtesy visit to President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, delivered a dynamic presentation of how African countries can harness natural energy to develop and bolster economies.

He said the workshop was aimed at addressing pressing needs for climate resilience and environmental conservation efforts in Southern Africa.

In Namibia, Adv Mudenda is set to present key objectives that include enhancing existing parliamentary conservation caucuses, fostering partnerships among stakeholders, exploring climate financing mechanisms, and raising awareness about the environmental impacts of extractive industries.

The workshop is expected to run from today until July 11, under the theme: “Fostering Sustainable Futures: Integrating Climate Resilience in Southern Africa,” and comes ahead of the hosting of the Sadc Summit by Zimbabwe next month in Harare. During the summit, President Mnangagwa is expected to take over the chairmanship of the regional bloc.

Adv Mudenda arrived in Namibia on Monday and was welcomed by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Namibia, Mrs Melody Chaurura. He said he was honoured to be recognised as part of the high powered delegation for Southern Africa.

“I am honoured to be part of this critical gathering that brings together distinguished leaders and experts to tackle the challenges posed by climate change in our region,” said Adv Mudenda.

The Namibian workshop features participation of esteemed climate action experts such as the head of regional Programme Energy Security and Climate Change in Sub-Saharan Africa (KAS) Anja Berreta and the executive director of the Southern Africa Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) Jane Olwoch.

Among key strategies of the workshop is to empower parliamentarians to lead initiatives that bolster climate resilience, safeguard environmental ecosystems and promote sustainable green economic development in the region.

Alongside other leaders and experts, Adv Mudenda will actively engage in discussions and deliberations to drive impactful solutions for a more sustainable and resilient future for Southern Africa.

The Southern African region has been experiencing devastating effects of climate change, including persistent drought patterns. Experts have called for urgent action to develop climate-resilient strategies and comprehensive environmental conservation efforts.

During last week’s 55th Plenary Assembly of the Sadc Parliamentary Forum, held in Luanda Angola, Adv Mudenda called for the region to adopt and advocate for comprehensive energy policy frameworks, higher budget allocations for renewable energy development and regional co-operation to harmonise energy policies.

He reiterates the importance of ratifying and domesticating Sadc protocols on renewable energy to enable a swift transition towards a clean and securing affordable energy future for all Sadc citizens.

“Notwithstanding several master plans that have been crafted to mitigate the energy deficit in the region, actual progress remains stunted despite the pressing demand for electricity in the region in the wake of regional industrialisation trajectory.
“Inexorably, this points to the need to improve the quantum of energy to meet the energy deficit,” said Adv Mudenda.

He referred to the Inga Dam hydro-electric project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, saying that it offers a transformative opportunity for the Sadc region to access hydropower.

Adv Mudenda said procrastinating on the project is the bane of the Southern African region.

He also emphasised that nuclear power is increasingly emerging as a potential solution to addressing the energy access and climate change challenges faced by Sadc countries.