Rwanda vows resilience on climate change

KIGALI - Rwanda will adopt strong strategies that help to mitigate negative impacts of climate and will keep vocal is pushing for a deal that readily addresses this global issue, State Minster for Environment and MinesVincent Karega has said. “Even though we are the most vulnerable, we should not remain passive and expect pity from the rest of the world,” Karega told a just concluded Climate Vulnerable Meeting held in Maldives. “We need to seriously demonstrate our own commitments at home and within regional ecosystems by devising policies and actions geared to correct and build resilience to climate change.” He proposed policies of Irrigation for agriculture, reforestation and aforestation, clean energy, soil conservation, coast protection and green industrialization, as key strategic for mitigating the climate disorder. “It is through actions, no matter the size that we will gain the moral authority to sensitize and convince the rest of the world to take further commendable steps.” He said that cooperation among developing countries and deep understanding of their different features and levels of risk shall help us to exchange on best practices and act in solidarity. He called upon countries vulnerable to climate change to ensure that they forge a strong partnership based on the shared concerns and purposes. “A common voice in Copenhagen is very crucial, our call to the world for a much more responsible behaviour in reducing carbon emissions, developing mitigation measures for adaptation and technology transfer for a greener economic growth path will add value to global awareness and mobilize the right momentum for action,” said Karega. Meanwhile, during the same meeting, a group of 11 countries vulnerable to adverse effects of global warming urged world leaders to reach a binding agreement at next month’s global conference on Climate Change. The group issued a statement calling upon all countries to “redouble their efforts at reaching a binding, ambitious, fair and effective agreement” in Copenhagen. In the same declaration, representatives of the eleven countries called on developed countries to keep carbon emissions below 350 parts per million (ppm) and to give 1.5 percent of their gross domestic product to aid developing nations in adapting to the myriad impacts of climate change. The eleven countries that are most vulnerable to climate change are Bangladesh, Barbados, Bhutan, Ghana, Kenya, Kiribati, the Maldives, Nepal, Tanzania, Vietnam and Rwanda. Ends

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Rwanda vows resilience on climate change