The climate battle in the Sahel region can be won only through the optimal mobilization of the region's own public funds, Morocco's King Mohammed VI said, stressing that this mobilization should be accompanied by effective international financial support that matches the ambitions of the Climate Investment Plan.
In a message addressed, Friday, to the participants in the 2nd session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Climate Commission for the Sahel Region, which is held in Addis Ababa, the King affirmed that "this prerequisite is based on the historic creation, at COP27, of a fund to address the losses and damages that have been exacerbated by the climate crisis."
The King said, in this message which was read by the Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch, that "by 2030, up to 118 million of the poorest people in Africa will be directly threatened by extreme weather events," noting that that in the G5 Sahel sub-region, it is estimated that poverty could affect an additional 13.5 million people by 2050.
"Despite this alarming situation, up to 2020 our continent had received only 12% of global climate funding," the King lamented.
The King recalled that Morocco has honored its commitment by providing the Climate Commission for the Sahel region with capacity building, technical assistance and financial support for the preparation of feasibility studies to finalize its Climate Investment Plan.
Remaining faithful to its commitment, the Kingdom is already providing the necessary technical assistance to the Commission's actions and will act, with the same resolve, to complete its roadmap, the Sovereign added.
Commending the "wise" path, that of coordinated, concerted regional action, that African leaders have embarked on to rise to the challenges of the climate crisis, the King noted that Africa's action continues to be hampered by a number of constraints.
"The Very High Level Meeting of the three African Climate Commissions, held on the sidelines of COP 27 on the initiative of my brothers Presidents Macky Sall and Denis Sassou N'Guesso, is an illustration of this solidarity-based approach, which should be strengthened," said the Sovereign, specifying that increasing coordination between the governing bodies of the three Commissions "will enable us to enhance the coherence of our joint action for an Africa which is more resilient to climate change."
"The commitments we made at the First Africa Action Summit held in Marrakech, in 2016, on the sidelines of COP22, will continue to guide our efforts to ensure the continent's resilience as well as the ambitions of future African generations," the King concluded.
