The role of Parliamentarians in responding to climate change comes into focus next week as regional legislators convene in Mwanza, United Republic of Tanzania for a sensitisation workshop on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction. The workshop scheduled for November 11-13, 2012, is organised by EALA’s Committee on Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources (ATNR) in conjunction with the East African Community Secretariat.
The Workshop is expected to bring together Members of the EALA as well as Chairpersons or representatives of the Committees in charge of Environment/Climate Change in Partner States’ National Assemblies.
The overall objective of the Workshop is to senstise the new EALA Members on climate change with an aim of identifying key entry points for them to engage on climate change at the regional and international level.
The specific objectives of the workshop include:
(i) consideration of key Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction science, policy and practice issues
(ii) consideration of the EAC Climate Change Policy Framework
(iii) consideration of the role of Parliamentarians in Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction response measures; and
(iv) consideration of the EALA Resolution on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction.
The keynote address shall be delivered by the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors, Hon Jesca Eriyo. Participants at the workshop shall listen to a number of presentations revolving around international and regional perspectives of climate change: science, policy and practice situation analysis of climate change and the necessary response measures. Other areas to be deliberated on include the Manila Call For Action emphasising on Disaster Risk Reduction as a tool for Climate Change Adaptation.
It is hoped that legislators shall adopt a Resolution on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction and identify entry points and key roles they can play in the implementation of regional and international Climate Change policies.
The Parliamentarians are also expected to pay a visit to the Serengeti National Park to witness the wildebeest migration and to assess the water and biodiversity issues in the region.
The meeting comes at a time when the EAC region, the continent and the globe at large are grappling with the effects of climate change. Parliamentarians’ engagement in the climate change debate has significantly increased over the last few years. This has seen an increase in co-ordinated efforts by legislators at the national, regional and continental level to contribute to finding solutions to climate change through legal frameworks.
High level Parliamentarian summits and conferences have been held including the Parliamentarian conference on Climate Change held in Dhaka, Bangladesh in March 2012 where EALA was represented. Others include the African Parliamentary Summit on Climate Change that was organized under the auspices of the Pan African Parliamentary Network on Climate Change (PAPNCC). The 1st Summit was held in Yaoundé, Cameroon on 25th -27th June 2009 while the 2nd Summit was held on 12th -15th October 2009 in Nairobi, Kenya, under the theme: “Climate Change: One Africa, One, One Position”.
In an effort to respond to the increasing impacts of climate change in the region, the EAC formulated a Climate Change Policy that was approved by the Heads of State during the 9th Extra Ordinary Summit held on 19th April 2011 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The overall aim of the Policy is to contribute to regional integration through harmonized and co-ordinated regional strategies, programmes and actions in response to the negative impacts of climate change. The EAC has further developed important documents including: The draft EAC Climate Change Strategy, draft EAC Climate Change Master Plan, draft operational modalities for the EAC Climate Change Fund and the draft Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Strategy.
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For more information, contact Bobi Odiko, Senior Public Relations Officer
East African Legislative Assembly, Tel: +255-27-2508240 Fax: +255-27-2503103, Cell: +255787-870945, +254-733-718036.
Email: BOdiko@eachq.org, Web: https://www.eala.org
