Botswana has unveiled its latest climate action plan, prioritizing adaptation measures over emissions cuts, a move praised by African climate negotiators as a pragmatic approach for vulnerable nations.
The new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), submitted to the UN on Christmas Eve, acknowledges Botswana’s unique challenges: a semi-arid environment, extreme weather events, and a relatively low contribution to global emissions. Recognizing these realities, the plan focuses heavily on building resilience to drought, floods, and cyclones.
Key adaptation measures include:
- Water Security: Expanding access to water pipelines, promoting desalination, and encouraging rainwater harvesting through rooftop tanks.
- Agricultural Resilience: Introducing drought-tolerant crops and livestock breeds, such as the Mosi cow, known for its resilience in arid conditions.
- Disaster Preparedness: Expanding the weather station network to improve early warning systems for storms and floods, and ensuring climate-proof infrastructure.
While the plan maintains its 2016 commitment to reduce emissions by 15% by 2030, it also outlines specific mitigation targets, such as replacing incandescent bulbs with LEDs and expanding solar water pump installations.
“For a country with minimal global emissions, this focus on adaptation makes sense,” said Fatuma Hussein, a Kenyan climate negotiator. “African countries, facing extreme climate impacts despite minimal contributions to global warming, should prioritize their unique circumstances.”
Julius Mbatia, another Kenyan negotiator, emphasized the need for a global framework that adequately addresses the needs of vulnerable nations, ensuring their voices are heard and their requests for climate finance are met.
Botswana’s NDC serves as a valuable model for other developing countries, demonstrating how to prioritize adaptation measures while also contributing to global emissions reduction efforts. As the world grapples with the escalating climate crisis, such tailored and pragmatic approaches will be crucial for building climate resilience and ensuring a just and equitable transition for all.
