The Southern African Development Community (SADC) members have an obligation to accelerate policies aimed at protecting the environment, an SADC official said Thursday.
Boemo Sekgoma, secretary general of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, told regional parliamentarians during a webinar that parliaments can ensure that governments and industries comply with environmental regulations and commitments.
"The role of parliaments is integral in shaping and enforcing environmental regulatory frameworks that seek to protect natural resources, reduce pollution, and promote renewable energy," said Sekgoma.
View of Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in Northern Cape, South Africa. /CFP
The webinar was held to mark the belated 2024 World Environment Day under the theme: "Our Land, Our Future" with a focus on land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience. It was coordinated from the SADC headquarters in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana.
Sekgoma said parliaments must, therefore, prioritize climate-resilient policies and support initiatives that enhance adaptive capacities, protect endangered species and their habitats, promote efficient resource use, prevent overexploitation, reduce pollution levels, and encourage cleaner production methods.
According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, up to 40 percent of the planet's land is degraded, directly affecting half of the world's population. The number and duration of droughts have increased by 29 percent since 2000, and without urgent action, droughts may affect over three-quarters of the world's population by 2050, according to the UN.