Geneva: The Sultanate of Oman on Monday called for finding practical, innovative solutions to tackle the impact of climate change. Oman proposed the compilation of a database about areas that are most vulnerable to related damage in the near, medium and long future.
Oman made the plea in a speech during an annual conference about the climate change, held as part of events of the 56th session of the Human Rights Council. The speech was delivered by Idris bin Abdulrahman al Khanjari, Permanent Representative of the Sultanate of Oman to the United Nations (UN) and International Organizations in Geneva.
Al Khanjari urged the parties concerned to make an attempt to find collective, comprehensive solutions that take into account local dimensions, anticipate change and comprise measures to ensure smooth transition, sustainability and the protection of the environment against further damage.
Al Khanjari stressed that the desired proactive, fair, sustainable and environment-friendly alternatives would contribute to shifting entire human populations to more suitable places. The solutions should also replace production activities in a manner that ensures the safety of livelihoods, secures justice and equity and respects social, economic and environmental laws worldwide, he said.
Achieving livelihood resilience in the face of loss and damage brought about by extreme weather and slow-onset events is a priority, particularly for developing countries and people in vulnerable situations.
Loss and damage affects people’s livelihoods through destruction of homes, ecosystems, property and infrastructure and resulting impacts on the economy, income, human health and food security, with cascading impacts on children. Erosion of livelihoods is also a push factor for human mobility, and may contribute to increased risk of exploitation, especially of women and girls.
Under the Paris Agreement, countries have recognised the importance of averting, minimising and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change. The areas of cooperation and facilitation identified under Article 8 relating to loss and damage include the resilience of communities, livelihoods and ecosystems, among others. The outcome of the Global Stocktake urges countries to substantially reduce the adverse effects of climate change on poverty eradication and livelihoods by promoting the use of adaptive social protection measures for all. Livelihood resilience requires ensuring the capacity of social, economic and environmental systems to cope with the adverse human rights impacts of climate change by structuring these systems in human rights-enhancing ways that protect people’s livelihoods, including through social protection.
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