Deputy Minister Ms B Swarts: opening remarks at the UNCCD COP16 high-level side event: “Scaling up of efforts and mobilisation of resources towards the implementation of the SADC Great Green Wall Initiative”

 04 December 2024, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Your Excellencies and Honourable Ministers, 
Distinguished Guests, 
Ladies and Gentlemen,

First and foremost, allow me to extend a special gratitude to the Government and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for graciously hosting this High-Level Side Event in their beautiful and hospitable city of Riyadh. I also wish to acknowledge the event organisers, the Government of the Republic of South Africa, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) secretariat, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) under the chairmanship of Zimbabwe for their excellent collaboration in making this event possible.

Honourable Ministers, the Great Green Wall Initiative and the G20 Land Initiative present us with an opportunity to stop and reverse trends in land degradation, desertification, climate change, and loss of biodiversity, especially in the arid regions of Africa through a coherent and common set of interventions.

Ladies and Gentlemen, land resources such as soil, water, and biodiversity provide the foundation for the wealth of our societies and economies. They meet the growing needs and desires for food, water, fuel, and other raw materials that shape the livelihoods and lifestyles of our people. However, desertification, land degradation, drought, climate change and loss of biodiversity are critical challenges for arid regions in Africa, which exacerbate food insecurity and adversely affect the regional development efforts and the livelihoods of the poorest populations.

In South Africa we have developed the Great Green Wall National Action Plan to implement the SADC Great Green Wall Initiative Strategy. Our plan is guided through a vision which is aimed at ensuring that our productive landscapes that contribute to national socially inclusive economic prosperity and environmental sustainability in line with the National Development Plan is enhanced. Through this plan, we will also ensure that our participation of key stakeholders is increased; Policy support is effective; Systems for sharing information and knowledge is established and Synergies among Multilateral Environmental Agreements is enhanced.

By doing this, we will be able to reduce the vulnerability of ecosystems to climate change; increase the resilience of communities to impacts of climate change; improve and diversity livelihoods of people; quantify and assess the cost of area of land degraded, decertified and prone to drought amongst others. To date, through the GEF Small Grants Programme currently being implemented in South Africa by the UNDP, six (6) community projects are currently being implemented in line with our National Action Plan. The implementation of this projects will address issues of food security, sustainable livelihoods through agroecology and biodiversity; inclusive climate resilient and sustainable agriculture and developing capacity for indigenous community agroforestry in the degraded landscapes of South Africa.

Distinguished Guests, efforts are continuously being made in implementing the provisions of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, Sustainable Development Goals SDG 13 and SDG 15, African Union-Agenda 2063 and other multilateral environmental and development agreements to improve the resilience of human and natural systems to climate change. However, the implementation is not attained at the level expected, in areas of conservation of natural resources including the reduction of poverty due resource constraints. Whilst we are mobilising domestic resources, we do require support of the international partners. One of the programmes we are implementing has been mandated by President Ramaphosa.

My Department has been given the responsibility to lead in the planting of ten million trees which is in its fourth year of implementation. This is an initiative that aims to green our cities, towns, townships and reclaim the degraded areas. The Department has developed a plan which among other issues reflects on the creation of sustainable settlements, addressing household food security, climate amelioration, as well as a contribution towards the provision of recreation facilities for communities in urban and rural areas. A greater component of the greening function is aligned to the work done by Municipalities, the Department of Human Settlements and various greening organisations. This is a result of the notion that a building without some greenery is not complete in terms of the quest to create sustainable and dignified settlements for our people. We will be working with greening partners in the programme including business, civil society and development cooperation partners in greening space and planting trees. This is just one example of how South Africa will contribute to the Great Green Wall Initiative.

Our view is that the GGWI will ensure that we deliver on our regional commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Target 13 and Target SDG 15 , Agenda 2063, Land Degradation Neutrality of the UNCCD, National Determined Contributions of the UNFCCC and the Global Biodiversity Framework of the UNCBD and contribute to the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration.

Launching South Africa’s presidency of the G20 yesterday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that South Africa will use the moment to bring development priorities of the African Continent and the Global South more firmly on the G20 agenda.

He further identified that the following will be priorities 

1. Solidarity – a connected world build on people centres and inclusive future 

2. Equality- fair opportunities for all nations and people 

3. Sustainability – addressing today’s needs and protecting our shared future

Further he observed that “Decisions taken by the G20 have a direct impact on the lives of all members of the global community. It has a wide agenda that now includes trade sustainable development, health, agriculture, energy, the environment, climate change and anti-corruption. South Africa’s G20 Presidency takes place at a moment in which the world is facing severe challenges. The climate change crisis is worsening. Across the world, billions of people are affected by underdevelopment, inequality, poverty, hunger and unemployment.”

Through the G20 presidency, we have taken a step forward and included the programme of work for the Great Green Wall Initiative in the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group. We hope that, through this presidency, South Africa will be able to provide leadership and deliver on the pillars of implementation that we have agreed upon as SADC. Whilst at domestic level Member states will mobilise resources to support our contribution to the Great Green Wall Initiative; it is imperative that we also receive support from other sources such financial mechanism; the GEF, It is my considered view that if all the 16 Member States accede to this commitment, we can manage to come up with one regional project that will address our common challenges in the region.

With these remarks, I would like to appreciate your presence in this High-Level Side Event and looking forward to your meaningful engagements.

I thank you!

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Peter Mbelengwa 
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E-mail: pmbelengwa@dffe.gov.za