dyton mupawaenda
Africa Moyo-Deputy News Editor
As COP28 gets underway tomorrow at the Expo City in Dubai, with world leaders expected to reflect and expedite the fight against climate change, experts are calling on deliberations to focus on details regards the operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund.
The Loss and Damage Fund was probably the most prominent positive from COP27 held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, at a time when extreme weather events such as flooding and heat waves are wreaking havoc globally and affecting livelihoods.
Heavy rains have left many people dead and homeless in Zimbabwe over the years, with the biggest recent disaster being Cyclone Idai which killed over 650 people, with more than 250 still to be accounted for.
In Libya, over 4 000 people were killed after the Derna Dam collapsed following Storm Daniel in September this year.
Malawi, Sudan, Pakistan and India are some of the countries battered by floods this year and in recent years, killing thousands of people, making the Loss and Damage Fund critical in assisting affected countries to build back better when climate change-induced floods strike.
Promisingly, negotiators held an extraordinary meeting on November 4, to agree on the sticking points of who should pay into the fund and where it should be located.
The negotiators agreed that the fund be housed within the World Bank, temporarily, while a new home was explored, and that no countries would be forced to contribute to the fund. But developed countries are “urged” to support activities to address loss and damage, while developing countries are “encouraged” to do so.
The Loss and Damage Fund as a result of incessant pressure from climate-vulnerable developing countries.
Wealthy countries, which are the biggest polluters, had fiercely opposed the establishment of the fund, which seeks to provide financial support to nations impacted by the effects of climate change.
In a speech read on his behalf by Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka, during the climate summit in Nairobi, Kenya, in September, President Mnangagwa said as the continent prepared for COP28, there was need to advocate the “expeditious operationalisation of the loss and damage mechanism to reverse a disturbing and growing tendency where commitments remain unimplemented many years after we agree on them”.
“It is important to reiterate the call for the developed nations to fulfil their commitments if the Paris Agreement is to be taken seriously,” said President Mnangagwa.
The Paris Agreement is a binding international treaty on climate change adopted by 196 parties at COP21 in Paris, France, on December 12, 2015.
It came into force on November 4, 2016, with its key goal being to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels” and pursue efforts “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.”
In terms of funding, the Paris Agreement reaffirms that wealthy nations should take the lead in providing financial assistance to less developed countries that are more vulnerable to climate change.
Climate finance is needed for climate adaptation and mitigation to reduce the adverse effects of a changing climate.
And as another round of negotiations starts at COP28 in Dubai this week, Carbon Green Africa managing director Mr Charles Ndondo wants the summit “not to be just one of those talk shows” that end without concrete agreements.
For him, issues around the impact of climate change on women and children should come under the spotlight.
“World leaders need to take a more practical approach on raising climate finance and at the same time calling on private sector to meaningfully participate towards climate change mitigation initiatives,” said Mr Ndondo.
“We hope COP28 is going to take a critical view of how climate change has affected women and children. This should be one of the topical issues to be addressed by the summit and how climate finance can be used to address the challenges faced by women and children.”
Experts say women and children disproportionately bear the brunt of climate change effects, such as shortages of clean water as the water table goes further down due to intense heat and erratic rains.
In some cases, they have to walk for several kilometres to get to the nearest water point, with babies strapped on their backs.
Women also struggle to access healthcare facilities during times of floods, and lack income due to extreme weather, which prevents agricultural production and other income generating activities.
Carbon Green Africa, through its Kariba REDD+ project, attempts to deal directly with issues affecting women due to climate change.
The Kariba REDD+ project is the oldest carbon credit project that has been operational since 2011 covering the four districts of Binga, Nyaminyami, Hurungwe and Mbire.
In terms of healthcare challenges, the organisation has embraced President Mnangagwa’s mantra, “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/ Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo”, and has constructed and supported clinics such as Mahwu Clinic, to cut the distance travelled by women in search of healthcare.
It has also constructed expecting mothers’ shelters, and biogas digesters at clinics for access to free energy.
In support of the nutritional gardens initiative being championed by the Second Republic, the Kariba REDD+ project has also introduced community nutritional gardens that are managed strictly by women.
The gardens, whose boreholes are solar-powered, produce a variety of nutritional vegetables for household consumption while the surplus is sold to generate income.
Several other empowerment projects such as goat and poultry breeding. Women also participate in bee-keeping and moringa growing as sources of income.
Mr Ndondo said Zimbabwe has taken tremendous strides over the years to align itself with the objectives of the UNFCCC, including the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife’s move towards enacting laws and regulations governing private players in the climate finance space, and in particular, carbon credit trading.
He said authorities realised the critical role played by private players and have brought everyone to the table such that everything is done in line with Government’s vision.
Zimbabwe has a number of players interested in the carbon credit trading schemes, and Government has called on such entities to regularise their operations.
Online Reporter