“Our land. Our future. We are #GenerationRestoration.”
This is the theme for World Environment Day 2024, a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) led initiative which is celebrated every year on June 5th.
Launched in 1972, the campaign encourages worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment.
Todays’ celebrations are hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with a focus on restoration, desertification and drought resilience.
Climate change and the resulting extreme weather events have magnified the need for action, with the European Commission stating that severe droughts in southern Africa are triggering a humanitarian and environmental crisis.
The Republic of Botswana is among the countries affected, having referenced droughts as a matter of national importance in their statement announcing the country’s intention to join the CIC as a State Member earlier this year.
Efforts are ongoing across the southern African region to find solutions to combat this environmental crisis, with cooperation and collaboration a necessity amongst stakeholders in the region.
We have already seen efforts to join forces in this regard. Droughts – and the resulting threats to wildlife populations and human wellbeing – were a central theme at the inaugural KAZA Summit of the Heads of State and Government, which took place on 31 May 2024 in Livingstone, Zambia.
KAZA is the transboundary conservation area of Kavango-Zambezi, which was established in 2011 to integrate several national parks across Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Angola, and Namibia.
Elephant protection and enhancing the resilience of communities in the face of climate change was included as part of the summit’s agenda..
With KAZA now made up of four CIC State Members, the CIC looks forward to rendering support to its growing Membership and their prevailing environmental and wider sustainable development issues, including droughts.
