Rabat – King Mohammed VI sent a speech on Monday to the Summit of Heads of State and Government on Drought and Sustainable Land Management in Abidjan.
In the speech, Morocco’s King praised Cote d’Ivoire’s efforts to organize the summit, describing the West African country’s hosting of the event as reflecting a “firm determination and concrete mobilization to tackle the problem of drought.”
The monarch stressed the impact of climate change in particular on drought and land sustainability in the continent, citing the loss of millions of hectares of land across the continent and more than $120 billion in economic losses.
“Climate change is not some theoretical issue, nor is it a subject for rhetorical debate. It is a harsh, unforgiving reality which is taking a toll because of increasingly frequent, severe and devastating droughts,” the speech said.
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Stressing the importance of African cooperation to resolve the issue, the King called for accelerating the implementation of practical programs and the establishment of a “genuine” African alliance against desertification.
He also detailed Morocco’s achievements in the field, citing the country’s hosting of international conferences to combat climate change and its ambition of achieving a 45.5% greenhouse gas reduction by 2030.
“The fight against desertification and land degradation is an existential struggle for everyone – and even more so in Africa,” the speech, which was delivered by the Minister of Agriculture Mohamed Sadiki, continued. “This fight should not be hampered by a lack of technological capabilities or financial resources, much less political will.”
Morocco has made strides as a regional leader in the fight against climate change. In late 2021, the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) ranked the country fifth worldwide for its efforts to combat climate change in accordance with the 2015 Paris Agreement.
The North African kingdom has also signed several agreements with countries such as the UK to combat the climate crisis on an international scale.
