Members of Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries
Members of Parliament
Director-General in absentia
Stakeholders and development partners
Officials
Ladies and gentlemen
Program director
There is no doubt that climate change associated with global warming is widely considered to be amongst the most serious threats to environmental integrity and sustainable development, affecting human well-being and the global economy. It is now well established that the Earth’s climate is being adversely affected by the build-up of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, due to anthropogenic activities such as the burning of fossil fuels.
South Africa’s climate is highly variable and is particularly vulnerable to climate change, as farming depends to a great extent on the quality of the rainy season. The projected increase in the variation of rainfall and the observed changes in historical temperature trends will have a serious impact on agricultural production landscapes with negative effects on food availability. Brought together, impacts of climate change will undermine food security, especially in Africa. South Africa is certainly not completely immune to issues of food security.
The ultimate objective of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is to stabilise greenhouse gas (GHG) concentration in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. However, in meeting this objective, the UNFCCC states that in achieving this objective the natural environment and human livelihoods should not be compromised. To meet the ultimate objectives of the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol calls for quantified reductions in developed countries' GHG emission for the 2008–2012 period. If this ultimate objective of the Convention is to be achieved in the long term, agreeing on a post-2012 climate change regime is crucial. To this end, government representatives of more than two hundred countries will meet in South Africa, Durban (28 November – 9 December 2011), under the auspices of the UNFCCC, for the COP 17.
As part of the process to prepare for COP 17, my department has organised this national climate change conference to, amongst other things; solicit inputs into DAFF’s participation in the UNFCCC process; identify and address gaps in sector ‘s readiness to respond to climate change; strengthen and expand a national network of climate change fraternity and identify climate change-related topics and projects to be showcased during COP 17 side-events and exhibition.
You will agree that climate is central in many critical agricultural decisions ranging from farm to policy level. In addition, most of these decisions should be made several months in advance, before impacts of climate effects could be realised. Therefore the stance taken by Government to address climate issues by fully participating in international conventions such as the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and, secondly, developing National Climate Change Response Policies that will lead to sector plans development with full stakeholder participation.
In implementing an effective climate change programme, DAFF will develop the sectoral Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation plans which will contribute to the regulation, promotion and coordination of the conservation of agricultural land, forest and water resources to ensure sustainable development and environmental integrity.
As part of the departments and the stakeholders’ efforts to keep abreast of global research and also to build domestic expertise on climate change issues, we are actively involved in Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases. This is but one of many research efforts where AFF has its footprint at the national and international scale.
DAFF will continue to conduct climate change research in order to inform policy making and also to assist in determining interventions at all levels of governance. Associated with the research are on-going awareness programmes which will assist farmers, foresters and fishers to put in place best practices which will promote sustainable use and thereby contribute to the green economy.
The outcomes of this conference will be communicated to all of you through publication of the proceedings on the departmental website. I have no doubt that the proceedings from this conference will better equip the South Africa in its preparation and participation at the forthcoming COP17 and also in the development of relevant adaptation and mitigation plans. The final report will be submitted as inputs from the sector to both Departments of Environmental Affairs and International Relations and Cooperation.
In conclusion, the outcomes of this conference should assist my department and the sector to be able to ensure that this UNFCCC conference in Durban becomes a truly African COP and that COP17 delivers a balanced package of decisions which will satisfy all the interests of Parties within the UNFCCC.
I thank you.
