African Environment Ministers meeting in Abidjan have called for the establishment of a legally binding protocol on drought management under the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), with a special focus on Africa. The call for action comes amid growing concerns over the detrimental impact of land degradation, drought and desertification on the continent’s socio-economic stability, food security, and environmental sustainability.
The call came as Environment Ministers concluded the 10th Special Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) with the adoption of the Abidjan Declaration on 6 September, which made the call for a drought management protocol and expressed deep concern over the environmental challenges Africa faces – particularly rising temperatures and land degradation – and stressed that inaction weakens social and ecosystems resilience across African countries.
“Prolonged droughts are resulting in adverse consequences, including loss of livelihoods, food and water insecurity, conflicts, and forced displacement. These challenges undermine poverty eradication efforts and threaten the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Africa Union Agenda 2063,” said Seyoum Mekonen Hailu, Ethiopia’s State Minister of Planning and Development (in charge of Environment and Climate Change) and President of the special AMCEN session.
Ministers highlighted the integral work of the Africa Groups of Negotiators as they engage in several upcoming international conferences and negotiations and noted that the special session provided a clear mandate and solidly endorsed the common African positions, as well as strengthened global and regional partnerships involving governments, international organizations, civil society, academia, local communities, and the private sector.
H.E. Robert Beugré Mambé, Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire, emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating: “The survival of our economies and people is at stake. In times like these, it is essential for Africa to work in synergy to tackle climate challenges. Together, we are strong.”
“Africa is a continent of solutions. Solutions to renewable energy in the form of vast solar, wind and hydro resources, and critical minerals. Solutions to food security, with fertile lands and competent farming communities. Solutions for innovation, as Africa has both youth and experience in a population eager to put its shoulder to the wheel for growth, prosperity, opportunity and development,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.
Ahead of international meetings – Conferences of the Parties (COPs) – on biodiversity, climate, desertification, and plastic pollution negotiations later this year, UNEP’s Executive Director rallied the African Ministers to unite as they seek to address the growing impact on the continent of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution and waste.
“African nations can go to these COPs with a strong position on land. Link land restoration, land management and land productivity to climate pledges and to national biodiversity strategies and action plans,” she added. “Public and private finance needs to ramp up. Food systems need to reform. And pollution needs to be addressed. In this last regard, African nations can help deliver a strong instrument to end plastic pollution at the final round of talks in Busan at the end of this year.”
Speaking at the special session, Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of UNCCD, highlighted the need to revise development policies to address the root causes of land degradation.
“The land must not be seen only as a source of extraction: extraction of agricultural products, extraction of minerals, and extraction of water resources. Nor must the land be seen only through the lenses of exploitation,” he said. “As the land is our most precious asset for our food, our clothes, our fuels, and our animals’ feed, we need to adopt a managerial rather than an exploitative attitude. An asset — especially such a precious asset — ought to be managed, with a whole-of-government and a whole-of-society approach.”
The Abidjan Declaration also emphasized the need for innovative financing models to unlock the USD 1.2 trillion required to implement the Sustainable Development Goals. In 2023, over $400 billion was spent on clean energy projects globally, but only $2.6 billion reached African nations.
“In Africa, as in all regions, the climate crisis is an economic sinkhole, sucking the momentum out of economic growth. It is African nations and people who are paying the heaviest price. But it would be entirely incorrect for any world leader — especially in the G20 — to think that although this is all incredibly sad, ultimately, it’s not my problem” said Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
As the international community looks ahead to COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, UNFCCC’s Executive Secretary called for a new international climate financial goal, firmly grounded in the needs of developing countries.
“COP29 must signal that the climate crisis is core business for every government, with finance solutions to match,” he added.
Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), highlighted the growing leadership of African nations in establishing effective coordination bodies that support the alignment of various Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs).
“We have seen a number of African countries set up coordination bodies that support dialogue and alignment across various Multilateral Environmental Agreements. These experiences should be replicated across the continent and beyond,” she said, emphasizing the importance of collaborative approaches in environmental governance.
Requested by the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment at its 17th ordinary session, UNEP and the African Development Bank also presented a teaser of the soon to be launched Africa Natural Capital Atlas during this special session in Abidjan; the Atlas highlights Africa’s rich natural resources and the urgent need for its sustainable management. Africa holds 8% of the world’s natural gas, 12% of its oil reserves, and 30% of global mineral deposits. Its fisheries are valued at over $24 billion, and it contains more than 60% of the world’s undeveloped arable land.
Ministers also endorsed an Omnibus decision on advancing Africa’s common positions at Conferences of the Parties and other meetings.
The 10th Special Session of AMCEN, held on 5 and 6 September, followed a Regional Consultative Meeting of UNEP Major Groups and Stakeholders and an Expert Group Meeting focusing on the severity of droughts due to rising global temperatures and land degradation.
About AMCEN
The African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) sets the environmental agenda in Africa. Established in 1985, the Conference brings together African governments, institutions and development partners to craft polices aimed at tackling the continent’s most pressing environmental issues. Its mandate is to provide advocacy for environmental protection in Africa; to ensure that basic human needs are met adequately and in a sustainable manner; to ensure that social and economic development is realized at all levels; and to ensure that agricultural activities and practices meet the food security needs of the region.
The African Ministerial Conference on the Environment holds its ordinary sessions once every two years and special sessions between ordinary sessions when necessary. The Africa Office of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) serves as the secretariat for the Conference.
About UNEP
The United Nations Environment Programme is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.
