Landlocked countries advocate for climate justice
Ambassador Charles Thembani Ntwaagae, Permanent Representative of Botswana to the UN talks to Nosh Nalavala
Nosh Nalavala: Your country is landlocked, with 80 percent covered by the Kalahari Desert. Consequently, less than five per cent of the country is suitable for rain-fed agriculture. Moreover, decreasing availability of fresh water has worsened the situation. How do you plan to improve the situation?
Charles Thembani Ntwaagae: Given the semi-arid nature of our climate, water is a scarce resource in many parts of Botswana. It is therefore treated as a very valuable resource in the country. It is true that there has also been a drastic decrease in fresh water lately. Climate Change exacerbates the situation, leading to periodic drought, reduction in the water table, increased pressure on the scarce water resources and reduced primary land productivity. We have recently witnessed the drying of major
NN: Could you explain how the The National Conservation Strategy (NCS) strategy was implemented and the results of this initiative?
CTN: Yes, the adoption of the National Conservation Strategy (NCS) in 1990 was a landmark development in the management of the environment in Botswana. The strategy was adopted against the backdrop of serious environmental problems that had become evident, key among them was the prevalence of range land degradation, which resulted from overstocking, as well as unsustainable patterns of exploitation of natural resources.
The strategy provided impetus for improved management of the environment and for sustainable
NN: A recent report indicated that considerable progress has been made in combating desertification in Botswana, but the results of most anti-
CTN: Of course, in semi-arid climatic conditions such as we have in Botswana, efforts to combat
NN: What are the major issues that LLDCs should bring to the table in Paris?
CTN: COP21 in Paris in December 2015 presents a strategic opportunity for Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and developing countries in general to strongly advocate for climate change justice.
Our concern is that developing countries contribute the least to climate change and yet they disproportionately bear the brunt of its impact. This injustice needs to be corrected through effective application of the “polluter pays” principle.
At Paris, LLDCs should collectively underscore the need to reach agreement on a universal, legally binding carbon emissions regime, as well as the urgent need for the world community to address the phenomenon of climate change before it is too late.
Critical for LLDCs would be provision of financial, technical assistance and capacity building, as well as knowledge and technology transfer in order to facilitate effective implementation of mitigation and
NN: How are the LLDCs disproportionately affected by climate change?
CTN: As I pointed out, because of their low level of development, developing countries contribute least to climate