Sharjah24 – WAM: Water scarcity, desertification, and agricultural systems were the dominant themes at the sessions and events organised by the Arab and African pavilions today at the 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP28).
The League of Arab States' pavilion brought agricultural systems in the Arab region under scrutiny, exploring ways to enhance production and achieve food security. Meanwhile, the Moroccan pavilion focused on the pressing issue of water scarcity, and the Africa pavilion addressed the challenges of drought. The Libyan pavilion highlighted the acceleration of desertification due to climate damage.
According to a report by the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF), Arab countries face a critical water scarcity challenge. The average per capita share of renewable water in 2021 was a mere 600 cubic meters, and this continues to decline each year due to population growth, diminishing water reserves, and other factors.
Discussions in the Arab and African pavilions emphasised the urgent need for developing irrigation, agricultural, and water treatment systems. The activation of environmental policies was also highlighted as crucial for promoting green transformation and achieving sustainability.
The total agricultural area in the Arab countries in 2021 amounted to about 75.2 million hectares, representing 38.2 percent of the arable area. Water scarcity represents one of the factors that limit the possibility of exploiting most of the arable land area, according to the AMF report.
Food, agriculture and water are central to addressing global climate challenges, as food and agricultural systems contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and are at the same time highly vulnerable to climate change.
Meanwhile, the FAO report stated that greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural food sectors represent 34 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, arising mainly from deforestation, animal production, and food loss and waste. The report stressed the need to transform and strengthen food and agricultural systems by effectively adapting to and mitigating climate change, so people can enjoy healthy, sustainable and affordable diets.
In a related context, the State of the World's Forests 2022 report identified three paths to achieve green recovery and address multidimensional planetary crises, including halting deforestation; restoring degraded lands and expanding agroforestry; sustainable use of forests and building green value chains.
In turn, the report of the Future for Advanced Research and Studies, an Abu Dhabi-based independent think tank, issued in conjunction with COP28 under the title: “Consumption Options” indicated that COP28 is an important phase for disseminating knowledge related to climate change on a global scale.
COP28 serves as a critical platform for disseminating knowledge about climate change. An international poll conducted by China Global Television Network (CGTN), found that 81.8% of participants believe countries should accelerate green development, reduce emissions, and achieve global climate goals. The poll also revealed that 88.5% of participants agree that developed countries bear greater historical responsibility for the human-made climate crisis.
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