Climate change: a call to action

The Monarch notes that scientists have established that "human activity has contributed significantly to current climatic disturbances." Unless greenhouse gases are reduced it will have an increasingly violent and disrupitve effect on our climate systems which will result in "the degradation of land, marine and coastal ecosystems," we have a duty to safeguard the planet for future generations.

He highlights the plight of African countries who are fragile, poor and vulnerable. They have low greenhouse gas emissions but are the hardest hit by the effects of climate change. The drought in Kenya and the looming threat of famine in the Horn of Africa spring to mind. In Asia the recent devastating floods in the Phillipinnes, China and India show that the weakest are hit the hardest. The international community has a duty to support these countries facing the effects of climate change with "technical assistance and appropriate financial backing."

Morocco is menaced by persistant drought. "From the beginning Morocco has firmly believed in the need to act and has shown the world's growing awareness in this regard."

It is shocking to remember that the Rio summit on climate change was held in 1992 and not enough has been achieved in global terms. Rain forests are still being decimated and desertification continues to grow, now threatening even parts of Spain.

Morocco has placed environmental issues at the heart of its development program and has developed water resources for drinking water and irrigation since 1967. Water resources management will continue to receive top priority. The energy sector is being developed to exploit renewable energy such as wind power and solar energy. Morocco is "strongly committed to restoring forests, conserving biodiversity and fighting land degradation, erosion, encroachment and desertification. The aim is to preserve our capacity in terms of natural resource production and regeneration."

The implementation of these strategies needs commitment at all levels, internationally, nationally and down to the level of individuals. In many areas which are badly hit by climate change. The situation is often made worse by prolonged conflict as in the Horn of Africa or Pakistan and these conflicts need to be resolved as soon as possible.

In the Major Economies Forum in London, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown warns of a catastrophic future of floods, drought and killer heat waves if world leaders fail to enact measures to counter climate change. The Rio Summit in 1992 began the attempt to combat climate change, Kyoto persuaded some countries to sign up for reduced carbon emissions. Now, in 2009 the need for concerted action is evident for all to see and we must act before it is too late.