25 Oct 2016

The United Nations (UN) Special Envoy for El Niño and Climate, Ambassador Macharia Kamau of Kenya,  on Monday October 24, paid a courtesy call on the Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation, Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi.

Ambassador Kamau, who has been in Botswana from October 23 to 25, visited Botswana to consult a wide range of stakeholders to help respond to the growing challenge posed by climate change with the view to develop a ‘Blueprint for Action’.

Once developed, the Blueprint will help in mitigating the impact of future El Niño events by developing robust multi-stakeholder commitments and interventions at the national and regional levels.

It will also help build climate resilience and embed an approach based on prevention and early action in Member States mostly affected by El Niño events.

In her remarks during the courtesy call, Dr Venson-Moitoi said due to El Niño effect that was definitely amongst people and highest poverty levels, infrastructure development in Botswana stalled, as President Lt. Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama had to decide whether to pay attention to social development or infrastructure development in order to mitigate the situation.

“And we then decided to sideline the normal hard planning of infrastructure development that we were accustomed to and go more into social welfare development. So, there was a heavy increase on food security and more emphasis on Agriculture development,” she said.

By reviewing the plan and focusing on social development, she said government also wanted to ensure that the poor do not remain behind by focusing on food security by strengthening the agricultural sector.

On the other hand, she said there was also the HIV era, which she said took a big hit on the country’s budget because there was a deliberate decision by government to buy ARVs.  

As much as government wanted to do other things, in terms of developments, such as construction of more roads, the minister said government decided that any infrastructure that ‘we go into, should be infrastructure targeted towards; employment creation, economic growth and should have a bigger spin off effect, so that if we go into major projects of infrastructure type they should have bigger spin off.’

She said the government was looking at major investment in solar (renewable) and water, particularly recycling. For his part, Ambassador Kamau said there was a lot of hesitation in the world, ‘governments had become very resistant.“This is what we are trying to tell the world that you cannot really pick and choose the easy tried and tested ways of doing things, because those tried and tested ways of doing things are the ones that have gotten us in the difficulties that we are having in the world today,” he said.

He said they should instead explore new ways of doing things, adding that exploration, just like any challenge, comes with huge risks.

“But, if you are not willing to take on those risks, then you are not serious about breaking new grounds or finding new solutions to the challenges that you are facing,” he added. 

He commended Botswana government for choosing to focus on infrastructure that had multiple effects on social development, saying it was an important decision. He also applauded the government’s determination in the fight against HIV epidemic.

“I wish you a very great success, because when you succeed this is a lesson that will be emulated. If we are going to succeed going forward as a globe, we have to look at the entire spectrum,” he said.

On technology transfer, he said “there is no country that has ever developed without the transfer of technology from another country.” He emphasised that it was only through sharing of technology that countries could succeed in their developments.

During his visit to Botswana, Ambassador Kamau also held meetings with other senior government officials from different ministries of Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, Local Government and Rural Development and Agricultural Development and Food Security.

The envoy also held discussions with UN Country Team, SADC Secretariat, Development Partners based in Botswana and civil society leaders. Ambassador Kamau was officially appointed by the UN Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-moon, in May 2016 as Special Envoy for El Niño and Climate.

He has been tasked with calling attention to the severe global human security impact of El Niño on human development, supporting the mobilisation of resources required to address immediate needs.

He has also been tasked with mobilising an integrated response to prepare for future needs related to the impact of climate change on weather conditions. ENDS