The United Nations climate change conference has opened in Durban South Africa with a call to leaders in least developed and developed countries to take actions to fight or reverse effects of climate change.
Presiding over the official opening of the conference, South African President Jacob Zuma, said the call for action stems from the threat of climate change in Africa and small Island States.
//Cue in “This meeting is taking place because ...
Cue out: ....climate change is matter of life and death”//
The South African president said almost each country in Africa was facing some effect of climate change, ranging from severe drought or flood which have increased the poverty levels and increased suffering of the people.
Zuma warned that Agricultural production in most of African countries is expected to decrease by as much as 50 percent if the governments are not helped to put in place measures to fight poverty by providing needed technologies to increase food production and cope with effects of climate change.
The city of Durban where the two weeks conference is taking place was on Sunday night hit by an un expected storm that partly destroyed the roof of international conference centre where the conference is being held.
UN Framework on Climate Change Executive Secretary, Christiana Figueres, called on delegates to take what she called decisive actions to help developing countries adapt to climate change and limit the growth of dangerous gases responsible for climate change.
//Cue In “What we witnessed last night ………………
Cue out ……global response to climate change”//
The conference is expected to set up a 100 billion dollars fund to finance the Green Climate Fund where developing countries like Uganda can access money for solar energy, hydro electricity and other clean energy options.
Chebet Maikut one of Uganda’s representatives from the Climate change unit said Uganda has a lot of expectations from the negotiations.
//Cue in “How do we address the adverse impacts of climate….
Cue out ……. Electricity, solar power”//
The conference is also expected to discuss ways on how the international community will collaborate to tackle climate change in future.
