The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the government of Japan unveiled here Thursday a new 92.1-million-U.S. dollar program for climate adaptation in Africa.
The new program, announced during the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) from May 28 to 30, will start in August 2008.
From the total 92.1 billion dollars, 11 million dollars will be allocated to joint programs with the United Nations Children's Fund, the World Food Program, and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.
"Climate change is one of the most critical issues that governments and citizens around the world need to address," said Olav Kjorven, UNDP assistant administrator and director of Bureau for Development Policy.
The program will prepare governments to manage climate change risks at the national and local levels and review existing poverty reduction strategies based on the expected climate change impacts on social and economic development, said a UNDP press release.
As a result of climate change, many African countries will experience increased water scarcity and worsened health and food security, Kjorven noted, adding that the economic and social development in the region could be slowed down or even reversed.
"We believe that this new program will have the capability to address some of the most urgent issues almost instantly," he said.
Africa accounts for only 4 percent of CO2 emissions, and 70 percent of these are due to land degradation. However, its populations, largely dependent on natural resources, are among the most vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather events.
As one of the three priority points for the approach to be discussed at TICAD, addressing environmental issues/climate change is an important feature of the global conference for promoting African development.
Source:Xinhua
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