Download Speech of - Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development

Speech of
the Hon. Devanand Virahsawmy, GOSK, FCCA
Minister of
Environment & Sustainable Development
on the occasion of the
ANPRAS 5th International Conference
on Climate Change
on
Thursday 18 July 2013 at 09.30 hrs
Le Serius – Labourdonnais Water Front Hotel
Dr. Raj Chintaram, Executive Chairman ANPRAS
Ms. Izabel Szary, Conference Producer, Common Ground, USA
Dr. Richard Munang, UNEP Coordinator for Climate Change Adaptation for
Africa
Mr. Osman Mahomed, Chairman Maurice Ile Durable Commission
Dear Participants from Mauritius and abroad
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
I am pleased to be in your midst this morning for the opening of the 5th
International Conference on Climate Change organized by the Allied Network
for Policy Research and Actions for Sustainability (ANPRAS). I would like, at
the very outset, to thank ANPRAS for having chosen Mauritius to host its 5th
International Conference on Climate Change. I also wish to extend a warm
welcome and a very pleasant stay in our country to all the international
delegates. As I understand, this conference aims at creating an interdisciplinary
forum for evidence on climate change, its causes and its wide-ranging impacts.
Additionally, it also aims at exploring the technological, strategic and social
responses to this global phenomenon. This is indeed a very laudable initiative.
Climate change is one, or should I say THE most serious threat facing mankind
to-day. As you all know, climate change indicators are all in the red with new
records being reached very fast. The 2013 Global Risks Report of the World
Economic Forum has rated the rising Greenhouse Gas Emissions as the overall
third most likely global risk. Recent observations in Hawaii, in May 2013,
indicate that atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide have exceeded 400
parts per million.
The present emission trend is putting the world on a
dangerous path which could lead to a four degrees Celsius (4oC) warming
within this century.
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Ladies and Gentlemen
No country is spared from the impacts of climate change. We have recently
witnessed floods in Europe and India, devastating cyclones in Philippines and
tornadoes in Oklahoma.
According to the Centre for Research and the
Epidemiology of Disasters, more than 370,000 people died between 2001 and
2010 as a result of extreme weather and climate conditions, including heat
waves, cold spells, droughts, storms and flood.
The sad truth is that countries in Africa as well as Small Island Development
State (SIDS) are the most vulnerable and are going to be the worst hit by
climate change. At the local level, the flooding which occurred in Mon Goût on
26 March 2008 and the more severe flash flood which hit Port-Louis on 30
March 2013 following torrential rains, are clear evidence of how vulnerable we
are.
Despite the fact that the contribution of SIDS to global greenhouse gas
emissions is insignificant, Mauritius, like any other SIDS, is going to
disproportionately face the high economic, social and environmental
consequences of climate change. For instance, long-term observations of the
Mauritius Meteorological Services have shown the following features:
(i)
alarming decreasing trends in annual rainfall by 8 %;
(ii)
an increase in mean temperatures by around 1 degree Celsius;
(iii)
a rise in sea level of the order of 3.8 millimeter per year; and
(iv)
an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events.
It is worth noting that climate change has more far reaching implications than
weather patterns only. Recent studies on the Climate Change Risk Assessment
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undertaken for Mauritius clearly indicate that climate change is not only
affecting the environment but also the social and the economic prospects of our
country. The main sectors affected by climate change include the coastal zone,
tourism, agriculture, fisheries, health and freshwater.
The decrease in rainfall, resulting in more frequent and severe droughts, will
have a direct impact on crop production, thereby putting at stake food security
and livelihoods of planters. For example, reduction in sugar yield is expected to
increase from 47 to 65 % with a rise in temperature of two degrees Celsius.
Agricultural production, as a whole, may decline by as much as 20 to 30% in
the medium and longer term due to rainfall variability.
Similarly, the livelihoods of fishermen can also be at stake with the reduction of
live corals by 80 to 100% by the year 2100. Natural assets, such as beaches,
which constitute the pillars of our tourism industry, are being eroded, thus
depriving this sector with value added activities worth USD 50 million by 2050.
Climate change is in fact gradually weakening the economic, social and
environmental fabrics of the country and is a hindrance in the path of
sustainable development.
This is why Government has put climate change high on its agenda and has
adopted a proactive approach in building resilience to this global phenomenon.
In our commitment to integrate sustainable development concepts into our
national policies, we have developed a National Framework for Sustainable
Development, which comprises a Maurice Ile Durable (MID) Policy, a 10-Year
Strategy and a 3-Year Action Plan, focusing on Energy, Environment,
Employment, Education and Equity, commonly known as the 5E’s.
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MID aims at transforming the environmental, economic and social landscape of
the country. It has been defined by the Prime Minister as a societal project
aimed at delivering sustainable growth with a vision for Mauritius to become a
model of sustainable development. The implementation of actions under MID
will go a long way towards promoting environmental stewardship. It will
contribute significantly in creating a new mindset amongst the population.
Ladies and Gentlemen
I am pleased to inform you that, under the Africa Adaptation Programme, we
have successfully implemented some 31 activities. One major milestone under
this Programme is that Mauritius has developed its first National Climate
Change Adaptation Policy Framework.
This Framework focuses on the
assessment of socio-economic impacts of climate change on key sectors like
water, agriculture including terrestrial as well as marine ecosystems, tourism,
coastal management and other cross-cutting sectors, namely health and gender.
The Framework comprises a Climate Change Policy for the coming 20 years, a
Strategy and Action Plan for the next decade and an initial investment plan for
the coming three years.
It provides the basis for future actions on climate change adaptation in sectors
which I have just mentioned. As such, the Framework aims at integrating and
mainstreaming climate change into core development policies, strategies, and
plans for Mauritius. In terms of policy principles, the Framework is based on
the need to undertake adequate planning to increase resilience, enhance and
maintain environmental quality, promote enabling environment through the
adoption of appropriate technologies and practices.
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Education and information being essential elements of the global response to
climate change, some 25 000 people from civil society have been sensitized on
climate change under this programme. As far as training and capacity building
is concerned, some 2600 professionals from various sectors, including
engineering, architecture, education, environment and health have been trained.
In this context, we have developed a manual on climate change for teachers of
primary and secondary schools. Some 750 teachers have been trained on the
use of the manual and on mainstreaming climate change in the education sector.
Besides, some eleven research activities on climate change covering different
fields such as water, and hydrological models, agriculture, endemic plant
phenology, coastal zone, viable energy options and wind maps as well as coal
ash usage and impacts have been completed.
Furthermore, we have recently launched a Climate Change Information Centre
at the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. This Centre acts
as a one stop shop for data collection and dissemination. It also provides
consolidated information on climate change which is accessible to students,
researchers, private sector organizations, NGOs and to the general public. The
Centre will serve as a digital tool kit for capacity building and strengthening
adaptation skills.
On the other hand, seven agro-meteorological stations have been installed in
different regions as part of an Agricultural Decision Support System to provide
timely and vital information to planters for the promotion of sustainable
agriculture. These stations will provide crucial information to farmers to better
adapt to the adverse effects of climate change and to take the right decisions,
thus protecting their crops, improve yield, quality, and income whilst ensuring
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food security. Agricultural researchers will also have the opportunity to access
to real time data.
I wish to highlight that with a view to further consolidate our adaptation and
mitigation efforts, a Climate Change Bill will soon be presented to Parliament.
Ladies and Gentlemen
Science plays a key role in finding new ways to combat climate change since
we must use scientific data to mobilise resources and to take action against the
global threat. Indeed, to-day we need scientists like you, and networks like
ANPRAS, to analyse the trends, sort out the data and produce useful
information to allow decision makers to devise policies, strategies and action
plans. The continuous contribution of the scientific community will be crucial
for producing reliable and precise information from researches, observations
and data analysis.
We need to stay ahead and go beyond knowledge which we have already
acquired. It is a question of survival. If we want to successfully reduce the
risks posed by climate change, we will need the full commitment and
involvement of everyone, including scientists and meteorologists who have their
fingers on the pulse of our planet. This will motivate the skeptics in adopting a
more positive attitude and eventually directing their efforts in addressing issues
related to climate change and for adapting more efficiently to the global
challenge.
Before concluding, I would like once again to express my gratitude to members
of ANPRAS for their encouragement and support to scientists and researchers to
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build collaborations that transcend borders on this very important subject matter
of climate change.
I wish you all fruitful deliberations during this Conference.
With these words, I now have the pleasure to declare the 5 th International
Conference on Climate Change open.
I thank you for your attention.
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