During the inaugural session of this two-day scientific event, experts from several countries (Germany, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, USA, France, Great Britain, Niger, Tunisia, Morocco, etc.) pleaded in favor of strengthening international cooperation in the fight once morest climate change, in order to reduce the vulnerability of populations to climate risks and disasters.
Organized under the theme “Climate change: Between risks, vulnerability and resilience of territories”, by the International Center for Research and Capacity Building (CI2RC), the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, the Higher School of Technology (EST) Essaouira under the At Cadi Ayyad University, this Conclave aims to update knowledge and perceptions of environmental change in general, and climate change in particular, as caused by the dominant development models. It also proposes to discuss the challenges of these global changes in terms of resources, biodiversity, human security, strategies, laws, mode of governance, while emphasizing the opportunities for investment and leadership to be implemented to deal with it in the short, medium and long terms.
Referring to the theme of this meeting, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Energy, Mines and the Environment, Mohamed Benyahya, indicated that the New Development Model (NMD) recognizes that territories play a central role in the transition towards sustainability, emphasizing that it is at the territorial level that policies, whether for mitigation or adaptation to climate change, are implemented.
“In Morocco, significant efforts are being made to combat climate change, in particular through the adoption of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) which are fundamentally territorialised”, he noted, recalling that ten regions of the Kingdom are already equipped with Territorial Climate Plans that integrate climate measures into their Regional Development Programs (RDP).
“This meeting aims to mobilize a wide range of participants (researchers, experts, decision-makers, international organizations, private sector actors, civil society actors, etc.), with a view to sharing research results, presenting relevant experiences and to explore the possibilities of networking and collaboration”, stressed Khouloud Kahime, President of the International Center for Research and Capacity Building (CI2RC) in a speech at the opening of the work of this Congress. .
Mrs. Kahime, noted that the purpose being to form a united front to fight once morest climate change, one of the most important international problems whose implications strongly affect security, sustainable means of subsistence, water security and food, biodiversity and health.
For his part, the Director of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom in Morocco, Sebastian Vagt, indicated that this congress “brings together representatives from politics, economics and academia, allowing networking that creates the basis for technological, psychological and political innovation, which is necessary to face this enormous challenge”.
Stating that global warming is “a challenge that concerns all of us on this planet”, Mr. Vagt pointed out that the Friedrich Naumann Foundation believes that beyond countries and large corporations, every individual, every province and every city must contribute its part to the fight once morest climate change as a human community.
For his part, the president of Cadi Ayyad University (UCA), My El Hassan Hbid, said that the scientific event is “an opportunity for us to rethink the question of sustainability, to rethink the ecological and the environment, and of course also to rethink all the human and cultural actions that affect the ecosystems in which we live”.
Noting that the issue of climate change is a universal problem and urges the countries of the world to speed up the implementation of actions capable of limiting the damage of disturbances which occur simultaneously and most of which prove to be more serious than which was foreseen in the previous observations, Mr. Hbid considered that the exchange of scientific advances in this environmental theme, the analysis, the debates and the exchanges of today which are part of a dynamic of action and global awareness, will surely contribute to the objective of meeting the challenges of countries in terms of the preservation of natural resources once morest pollution, alteration and loss.
During this meeting, national and international experts will lead a series of round tables on many themes related to “Climate change: What answers to the challenges?” », « Water and Energy: What constraints and strategies to fight once morest climate change? “, “Agriculture and Food Security: What are the challenges of decarbonization and adaptation”, “Climate change: what are the challenges linked to the inclusion of gender in education and training”, “Territorial management and climate change: towards a better resilience and true sustainability” and “Climate change and ecosystems: between vulnerability, resilience and adaptation”.
On the menu of this meeting, there are also seventeen sessions reserved for PhD students related, among other things, to “Climate change: between models and forecasts?” “, “Climate change: risks and impacts”, “Water and climate change: constraints and urgent need for a solution”, “Agriculture and climate change: from impact to adaptation”, “Climate change: risks and impacts”, “ Water and climate change: constraints and urgent solution”, “Agriculture and climate change: from impact to adaptation”, “Forests: between conservation and mitigation issues”, as well as with the “Impact of global changes in human health”.
