非洲主要城市市長達成協議 攜手對抗氣候變遷 | 環境資訊中心
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非洲主要城市市長達成協議 攜手對抗氣候變遷

2009年03月05日
摘譯自2009年3月2日ENS肯亞,奈洛比報導;謝芳怡編譯;莫聞審校

位於印度洋畔坦桑尼亞最大的都市Dar es Salaam;圖片來源:未知。來自非洲33個首都及主要城市的市長,2月27日共同承諾,將在各自的城市加快落實氣候變遷災害因應措施和減緩氣候變遷計劃。

為期2天的奈洛比會議結束後,與會市長共同發表奈洛比宣言,在此宣言的約束下,各市長將把相關氣候變遷計劃納入城市發展策略中。

此會議由聯合國人居署(UN-HABITAT)策劃,目的在針對市長所扮演的區域及全球性角色進行討論,而參與會議的市長也指出,儘管非洲城市所排放的溫室氣體相較於其他國家來的少,但卻也必須承受其他國家溫室氣體排放量不斷增加而引發的後果。

聯合國人居署署長提貝盧卡(Anna Tibaijuka)表示,這項區域性會議提供非洲國家一個新動力來推動地方政府運動。

各城市市長決定透過主動參與全球氣候變遷政策發展過程,讓全世界聽到非洲城市的聲音,該項政策將在12月哥本哈根所召開的聯合國氣候變遷會議上做出最後決議,屆時各國政府預計將簽署溫室氣體排放限制條約,並於京都議定書約束期限屆滿的2012年底正式生效。

三蘭港、莫羅尼和班竹等海濱城市市長,以及科摩洛和塞席爾這類小型島國,都對氣候變遷感到極度憂心並且大聲疾呼。儘管如此,氣候變遷所產生的負面影響不只侷限於海濱城市,查德首都恩將納市市長貝達也注意到,不穩定的降雨型態以及恩將納市周邊的森林砍伐,已導致該城市在1999年、2001年和2008年遭受洪水侵襲。該城市被兩條河流所包圍,而大部分的人民依賴木材來取得能源,因而導致樹木被大量破伐。

坦尚尼亞首都三蘭港市長基比薩強調:「氣候變遷只是困擾非洲城市的眾多問題之一,我們的城市無法應付5%到6%的人口成長,也無法解決教育、住宅、衛生或水源問題,我們的城市已經被擊垮了。」

African Mayors Agree to Combat Climate Change
NAIROBI, Kenya, March 2, 2009 (ENS)

Mayors from 33 capital and major cities across Africa pledged Friday to quicken climate change adaptation and mitigation plans for their cities.

Concluding a two-day meeting in Nairobi, the mayors issued the Nairobi Declaration, in which they resolved to integrate these plans into city development strategies.

Despite their relatively low contribution to global warming, African cities are suffering the effects of rising greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere in the world, mayors said at the conference, which was organized by UN-HABITAT to discuss the regional and global roles of mayors.

UN-HABITAT Executive Director Anna Tibaijuka said the regional conference had provided a new impetus to the local government movement in Africa.

The mayors resolved to raise the voice of African cities by participating actively in the ongoing global climate change policy development process that will culminate in the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December. There, governments are expected to agree on a greenhouse gas limitation treaty that will take effect at the end of 2012 when the Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period expires.

Concern over climate change was expressed most vocally by the mayors of coastal cities such as Dar es Salaam, Moroni and Banjul, and small island states such as Comoros and Seychelles.

Still, the negative impact of climate change is not confined to seaside cities. Mahamat Zčne Bada, the mayor of Chad's capital N'djamena, noted that irregular rainfall patterns and deforestation in and around the city had led to major flooding in 1999, 2001 and 2008. The city is flanked by two rivers and most people rely on wood products for energy, which causes the deforestation.

Climate change is only one of many problems afflicting African cities, emphasized Mayor Kimbisa. "Our cities cannot cope with five to six percent population growth. We can't cope in education, housing, health or water," he said. "Our cities are overwhelmed."