UN under secretary general and executive secretary of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), has reiterated his support for adaptation as Africa’s foremost strategy to tackle the multiple effects of climate change on the continent.
Addressing the opening session of the first annual Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA-I) which recently opened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Abdoulie Janneh said that adaptation is not just one of the options for Africa, but an obligation, given the formidable challenge that the phenomenon poses to Africa as it is a matter of survival for millions of rural Africans.
“That is why African leaders have said repeatedly that for Africa, adaptation is an existentialist issue and a serious cause for concern. Adaptation offers the chance to manage, spread risk and enhance choices, thereby contributing to sustainable development whilst dealing with social, economic and security threats posed by climate change”, the Gambian born Secretary General explained. He however cautioned that “adaptation without rapid cuts in emissions to maintain global warming at its lowest possible level, would be futile”,
The three-day conference is expected to provide a forum for dialogue, awareness raising so as to mobilize effective commitment and actions on climate change by African stakeholders.  It is organized by Economic Commission for Africa’s (ECA) African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC), a joint initiative of the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank and UNECA, within the framework of ClimDev Africa programme.
By bringing together policy makers, academics and practitioners, the conference aims to come out with concrete proposals on how to integrate climate change concerns into existing and future development policies, strategies, programmes and practices in Africa. The theme of the conference is “Development First: Addressing Climate Change in Africa”, and it is deliberately chosen to highlight the need to put development at the centre of all climate change-related research, practice and policy.
The Conference comprises plenary sessions with keynote presentations on the broad subject of green economy in the context of sustainable development, followed by several parallel sessions. These sessions are complemented by plenary sessions that will inform the debates around the Conference theme.
The Gambia was represented among other dignitaries by Hon. Minister of Forestry and Environment Jato Sillah and DPS Kebba Sonko.