DUBAI: Mahamat Hano, Minister of the Environment, Fisheries and Sustainable Development of Chad, stated that his country is one of the most affected by climate change.

He told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) that Chad is suffering from severe desertification caused by climate change and has lost half of its vegetation and many wildlife species over the past 20 years.

People are forced to move to crowded areas between areas suffering from desertification and floods, where they have to share space with herders and wild animals, creating a new problem, he said.

Climate change causes annual floods in Chad, damaging 250,000 houses and one million hectares of farmland and pastures across 18 states, he added, stressing that climate financing can help countries cope with climate change and must shift from planning to action.

‘We aim to restore land damaged by floods and desertification. This will balance the needs of people, animals, and plants on the land and the nomads who move across it. We also want to plant m
ore trees, support the agricultural and livestock sectors, and pursue the green economy, which is vital for Chad’s development and the African Great Green Wall Initiative to combat desertification,’ Hano said.

He then lauded the UAE for hosting COP28, which is an opportunity to evaluate climate action and generate possible solutions following the Paris Agreement. “We depend on the UAE’s efforts and its leadership of the COP conference to achieve favourable results for climate action, and hope that all parties agree on realistic and agreeable solutions for everyone,’ he said in conclusion.
Source: Emirates News Agency