Regional MPs gather for climate change indaba

Columbus Mabika, Herald Reporter

THE Speaker of the National Assembly, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, is in Windhoek, Namibia for a high-level climate workshop for parliamentarians running under the theme: “Workshop on fostering sustainable futures, integrating climate resilience in Southern Africa.”

The workshop will run from today till Friday and brings together presiding officers, members and officials from parliaments in the region, augmented by climate action experts from around the globe.

Accordingly and in light of the debilitating climate change effects, which have resulted in consistent drought patterns across Southern Africa, the region is being compelled to urgently map out climate-resilient pathways and holistic environmental conservation.

The workshop focuses on empowering parliamentarians to champion initiatives that enhance climate resilience, protect environmental ecosystems and drive sustainable green economic development in the region.

The key objectives of the conference include strengthening existing parliamentary conservation caucuses, fostering collaborations among stakeholders, exploring climate financing mechanisms and raising awareness about the environmental impacts of extractive industries.

Ahead of the workshop, Adv Mudenda underscored the need for a proactive stance on climate change, noting that the Zimbabwean Government had developed a National Climate Policy and the draft national adaptation plan.

This plan estimated a requirement of US$10,3 billion to bridge the adaptation gap and mainstream climate change initiatives by 2030.

In addition to this, he emphasised the imperative to pursue international climate finance to complement domestic resource mobilisation.

Zimbabwe has successfully mobilised $50 million from the Green Climate Fund and Adaptation Fund in support of the local resource mobilisation to combat climate change impacts.

The SADC Parliamentary Forum had previously focused on this urgent matter during its 54th Plenary Assembly in Mauritius, under the theme of harnessing legislative support towards climate resilience in the SADC region.