National program holds workshopExperts talk about climate change [Archives:2004/795/Community]

Ismail Al-Ghabiri
The General Authority for Environment Protection has organized its first workshop on the National Program to adapt to climate changes on Nov. 29.
The main objectives of the workshop were:
– To present the theme and main objectives of NAPA;
– To clarify the NAPA process and the role of all relevant stakeholders;
– To present and discuss the work plans of national teams;
– To enhance public awareness activities on climate change related issues.
A word was delivered by the Chairman of the General Authority for Environment Protection, Eng. Mahmood Shidiwah. He emphasized the importance of the climate change phenomenon that enables this international phenomenon to be connected to different essential sectors.
He also assured that the climate change phenomenon is directly connected to the direct sustainable development operation which require collective efforts by the official and population authorities to reduce the general principle of the development operation.
He added that Yemen is considered a pioneering country which signed the first Climate Change Agreement in Rio de Janeiro and then combined that with the Kyoto Protocol this year.
After that, a word of the UNDP Representative was delivered by the UNDP Assistant Resident Representative in Yemen, Randa Abo-Al-Hosn in which she said the following:
“Recognizing climate change issues as a significant human development change, a global climate change convention was adopted in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. As you are well aware, the goal of the convention is to, as much as possible, manage the adverse environment effects of climate change through coping and mitigation measures”.
She also said, “Within Yemen there is a lack of base data that can assist us measure, plan and mitigate against these negative effects. The three climate zones of Yemen (coastal, arid and mountainous) will all be affected differently, as will urban areas be differently effected to rural areas, as will be the broader environment be differently effected from the human population.
“Exactly what effect climate change will have on the Yemeni environment and ultimately on the human population is unknown. Before we can predict the severity of these negative effects and plan to mitigate or cope with these effects, there is some fundamental information that must be gathered and analyzed.”
After that, the Unit Head of Climate Change, in the General Authority for Environment Protection, delivered a word in which he talked about concentration heat occlusion gases. So, it is a duty to take care of the environment and to preserve and protect it for the present and future of the nation.
Thus, the workshop aimed to recognize the importance of involvement and co-operation of all the relevant stakeholders including key ministries, NGOs, academic institutions and private sector.
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