Addis hosting major international meeting on climate

Addis Ababa, 4/6/2005

The 23rd session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) kicked off here on Tuesday to finalize a Special Report on safeguarding the ozone layer and the global climate systems.

Delegates from over 100 countries taking part in the three-day meeting are expected to adopt the report, who will also approve a Summary for Policymakers. The report was requested by the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

In his opening remarks, Ethiopian Minister of Water Resources Shiferaw Jarso said Ethiopia - a country boasting reasonably good resource of agricultural potential, biodiversity, water resources and minerals, among others, is one of those countries facing serious environmental problems.

Shiferaw listed land degradation, deforestation and desertification as the major challenges, in addition to pollution from industrial discharges in urban areas.

"Due to the adverse effects of climate variability, Ethiopia is prone to severe and recurrent drought. Abject poverty is affecting the country. To reduce this serious problem the country has formulated an integrated development strategy," he indicated.

The Government of Ethiopia, Shiferraw said, "has put up a number of remedial measures from the highest policy framework down to implementations at the grassroots level".

"Being dominantly dependent on rain-fed subsistence agriculture, our policy focuses on rural development and poverty reduction. To our people there is no doubt that climate change will pose additional stress to natural resource base and its economy, which is already very sensitive to climate variability."

By signing and ratifying the Climate Change Convention and the Kyoto Protocol, Ethiopia has made it clear that it will contribute to the international effort to combat climate change, he indicated.

Chairman of the IPCC, Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri said on the occasion that climate change has a negative impact on the efforts to bring about sustainable development.

It also affects economic and social affairs of countries, the Chairman said adding, chemicals cause pollution which harm in particular developing and poor countries.

The Special Report describes both scientific and technical information regarding alternatives to ozone-depleting substances (ODSs) that may affect the global climate system, according to an IPCC press release.

The major objective of the three day meeting is to deliberate, improve and approve the final draft of the IPCC special report on Safeguarding the ozone layer and the Global Climate Systems.

The IPCC is described as a true model of international cooperation that assists to solve global problems by involving thousands of scientists from all over the world and various research institutes.

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Source: ENA