Climate resilience is a key priority ahead of COP26

African countries bear the brunt of climate change while contributing little to it.

And, as the world prepares to meet in Glasgow, Scotland for the COP26 Climate Change Summit, the African agenda will include discussions and deliberations on climate change adaptation and mitigation, as well as financing options for a green and inclusive recovery in Africa.

At home, stakeholders have also come together to try and prioritise key climate change issues affecting Botswana.

Botswana’s Second National Communication report was finalised in late 2012 and submitted to the UNFCCC in early 2013. It highlighted information on emissions and removals of greenhouse gases, and details of the activities Botswana has undertaken to implement the Convention.

The National Communications also contained information on national circumstances related to climate change in terms of; vulnerability assessment, financial resources and transfer of technology, and education, training, and public awareness.

Botswana submitted its NationallyDetermined Contribution to the UNFCCC in 2016, in support of the country’s efforts to realise its development goals and increase its resilience to climate change, described in the National Adaptation Plan Framework ( 2020).

The country published its Third National Communication to the UNFCCC in 2019. Botswana remains committed to developing a long- term, low carbon development strategy and supporting necessary mitigation and adaptation activities in order to reduce its vulnerability to climate change, and protecting the livelihoods of its population.

A key focus is on the sustainability of the environment, water resources, sustainable land management, agriculture, and health sectors.

Minister for Environment, Natural Resources, Conservation, and Tourism Philda Kereng earlier this year during deliberations to prepare for COP26 indicated that Botswana had joined global negotiations leading to the adoption of the Paris Agreement in December 2015.

She also noted that Botswana had pledged a 15 percent reduction on the 2010 base year by 2030, with articulated areas of intervention, needs, mindful of the fact that the actions require key resources.

“The agreement was to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by holding the increase of global average temperature to well below 2 Degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels and pursuing efforts to reduce to below 1.5 Celsius,” she said.

Kereng indicated that Botswana’s choices, as well as the implementation of adaptation and mitigation options, were paramount not only for survival but towards global efforts to combat climate change, adding that to counter the negative impacts of climate change, the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, Conservation, and Tourism had developed the National Climate Change Policy, which has been approved by Parliament.

Kereng said her Ministry remains committed to assessing development strategies and recovery plans to kick start the economy post- Covid 19, and to making nature ( environment) part of the solutions process as all stakeholders continue to stimulate economic growth and respond to the pandemic.