The TerrAfrica Secretariat at the NEPAD Agency together with its partners hosted a side event last week at the15th session of the Africa Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) in Cairo, Egypt. 

The event aimed at showcasing opportunities for economic growth and social benefits through an integrated landscapes approach and to inform on continental initiatives linking Sustainable Land and Water Management (SLWM) issues to Climate Change, Biodiversity and Land Degradation (LDBA). Of key were the practical needs and implications necessary for the implementation of the LDBA flagship programme.  LDBA is one of the Regional Flagship Programmes approved by the African Union (AU) and AMCEN for the implementation of the Rio+20 Outcomes in Africa.

Delegates from 54 African states and over 300 participants from around the continent representing policymakers, experts, civil society, businesses and major groups gathered at AMCEN to review binding climate change agreements that will reflect Africa’s priorities and needs.  The meeting comes at a time when TerrAfrica celebrates its 10 year anniversary to reflect on its achievements since its endorsement by African Ministers at AMCEN in 2005.

In her address, African Union Commissioner Mrs Rhoda Peace Tumusiime hailed the landscapes approach through which the NEPAD Agency will lead the LDBA approach to help counter the challenges of increasing competition for land resources due to increasing population, climate change and subsequent decline in agricultural productivity that Africa is currently facing, especially the rural communities. She also called on all partners to rally their support behind the already existing framework of the NEPAD’s Environment Action Plan (EAP) to support NEPAD’s landscape initiative in implementing the LDBA. 

The NEPAD Agency was represented by the TerrAfrica team and Climate Change unit led by Director of Programme Implementation and Coordination, Mrs Estherine Fotabong who noted that addressing the issue of land degradation through a landscapes approach will help realise economic, social and environment benefits and help in building resilience of African landscapes.

Other main partners to TerrAfrica who were present included the World Bank, the GEF, and various UN agencies including UNCCD and UNEA and Ghana; a TerrAfrica member country.