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Rabat – The 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP22) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, slated for November in Marrakech, seeks to give greater visibility to the issue of water, Morocco’s High Commissioner for Water, Forestry and Fight Against Desertification, Abdeladim Lhafi, said Thursday in Stockholm.
“The issue will occupy a central place during COP22, knowing that more than 80pc of the national contributions of the Southern countries focus on the issue of water,” Lhafi pointed out in a debate, organized as part of the World Water Week, held from 28th August to the 2nd September in Stockholm, under the theme “Water For Sustainable Growth.”
In this respect, Lhafi called for associating the issue of water with climate change and sustainable development “so that world citizens can feel them in their daily life,” through employment and wealth generating projects in order to fight extreme phenomena such as ecological immigration.
“It’s time to develop a new model of development and governance which will generate the best added value of this natural resource,” especially that most of the Southern countries are in a situation of water shortage, he observed.
Furthermore, the High Commissioner for Water, Forestry and the Fight against Desertification highlighted the strong and proactive water policy adopted by Morocco since the 1960s, which allows the kingdom to manage the water stock in a way that helps cushion three years of drought.
During this 5-day event, Morocco was represented by Hakima El Haite, COP22 Special Envoy and Morocco’s Minister Delegate in Charge of the Environment and Abdeladim Lhafi, COP22 Commissioner and Morocco’s High Commissioner for Water, Forestry and Fight Against Desertification, according to the official website of the COP22.
The annual global meeting dedicated to water was organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute with support from the City of Stockholm and Governments of Sweden and Germany, as well as through collaboration with key partners such as the OECD, Water Research Commission and 2030 Water Resources Group.
