In anticipation of the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29), which will take place between 11 and 22 November in Baku (Azerbaijan), Rafael Lucas hopes that Angola will be able to secure funding and international support at the climate summit to implement mitigation and adaptation measures and strengthen the capacity to monitor and respond to environmental disasters.
This summit is considered crucial to achieving commitments to reduce emissions by 2030 and to increase climate finance.
"[Angola] has been heavily affected by climate change, especially in the southern and southwestern regions where provinces such as Huíla, Cunene, Namibe and Cuando Cubango are facing severe drought, which has caused water and food shortages with an impact on agriculture and food security," the environmentalist highlighted.
On the other hand, the north of the country has been facing heavy rainfall events, "resulting in floods that damage infrastructure and negatively affect the quality of life of local communities", stressed the leader of the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO).
"The climate effects worsen the socio-economic challenges already existing in the country, worsening poverty and unemployment", added the head of Minuto Verde.
To mitigate these effects and invest in other priorities such as biodiversity conservation and promoting renewable energy, Angola has been adopting measures such as the adaptation plan that includes projects to restore ecosystems and promote sustainable agricultural practices, added Rafael Lucas.
"The country is working to expand the use of renewable energy, especially solar and hydroelectric energy, aiming to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions", he said, also mentioning investments in technical training for climate monitoring.
Furthermore, the government has sought international partnerships that can provide financial support for the implementation of environmental reforestation and ecosystem protection programs.
However, for the environmentalist, this is not enough.
"We need to do more to address the urgent challenges that Angola has been experiencing in the area of environmental issues. These actions demonstrate Angola's commitment to tackling climate issues, although more resources and external support are needed to achieve lasting results," he stressed.
The summit, which will bring together representatives from 197 countries and the European Union in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, is taking place at a time when the recent storms that caused more than two hundred deaths in Spain are an example of the worsening of extreme climate and weather phenomena that justify the need to accelerate policies to curb global warming.
The latest United Nations report on greenhouse gas emissions (UN Emissions Gap Report 2024) predicts global warming of 3.1 degrees Celsius by the end of the century if current policies are maintained and governments do not make more ambitious commitments to reduce emissions.
COP29 will be marked by the absence of the presidents of the United States and Brazil, as well as the president of the European Commission, Úrsula von der Leyen, among the leaders of several countries that traditionally participate in the negotiations.
The Angolan delegation will be headed by the vice-president, Esperança da Costa.
