Speaking at the meeting of the National Commission on Climate Change and Biological Diversity, Ms. Benali highlighted the importance of Morocco’s active participation in global initiatives on climate, biodiversity and strengthening partnerships in the field.
Climate change has always represented a serious threat and a permanent constraint for ecosystems and vital sectors of Morocco, explained the minister, noting that this phenomenon is manifested in particular by the increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events, the irregularity of maximum and minimum temperatures, the increase in the interannual variability of precipitation.
She stressed that “climate change seriously disrupts the water cycle, as evidenced by frequent and intense droughts and floods, as well as increasing water shortages”, considering that these events have a strong impact on the agricultural sector, and cause heavy and costly losses and damages, such as reduced production through the shortening of the agricultural season, lower yields and losses of crops, soil and arable land.
In addition to water and agriculture, other sectors that are disproportionately impacted by climate change include housing, health, and energy, industrial and tourism infrastructure, Ms. Benali added.
“Morocco has developed targeted sectoral plans to strengthen the resilience of its infrastructure and communities in key sectors such as water, agriculture, energy and transport,” the minister said, citing as examples projects such as the Noor solar complex in Ouarzazate, which illustrate the Kingdom’s investments in renewable energy.
To mobilize financial and technical resources, Morocco is implementing concrete actions based on climate financing mechanisms such as the Green Climate Fund and international partnerships, she said.
Thus, by strengthening national and local capacities and involving stakeholders, Morocco aspires to optimize its access to financing mechanisms for sustainable economic growth, while respecting its climate commitments, continued Ms. Benali.
This meeting, which was attended by designated members of the National Commission on Climate Change and Biological Diversity, representatives of the various ministerial departments and institutions concerned and experts, aims to revitalize the sub-commissions on climate change and biological diversity as well as its working groups.
It was also an opportunity to recall the results of COP28, in particular the first Global Stocktake (GST), the Global Adaptation Goal, the Just Transition pathway and climate finance, as well as progress in the carbon market (Article 6 of the Paris Agreement).
The outcomes of COP15 were also discussed, in particular the international agreement to establish the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMBF), aimed at halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030 and restoring ecosystems by 2050.
It should be recalled that the National Commission on Climate Change and Biological Diversity was set up to support the implementation of Morocco’s commitments under the two Rio conventions, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It also ensures that the preservation of biodiversity and the fight against climate change are integrated into public policies.
2024-08-24 03:29:00