Lubango - The Minister of the Environment, Ana Paula Chantre de Carvalho, today called on society to unite synergies to combat desertification, promoting sustainable soil management so that the next generation can have access to the country's vital natural resources.
The minister made this appeal at the opening of the Workshop on Sustainable Soil Management as a Tool to Combat Desertification" on 17 June, World Day to Combat Desertification, under the slogan "United for the Earth, Our Legacy, Our Future".
She pointed to the inadequate use of forest resources, especially biomass, farming practices and intense soil handling, deforestation, fires, severe droughts and floods as some of the factors behind desertification.
Climate change, she said, has its effects in the south of Angola, mainly in the provinces of Huíla and Cunene, and only together can solutions be found to overcome the problems, in the short, long and medium term, through "very well" planned actions.
Minister of Environment explained that Angola, as a member, had ratified and adopted the measures set out in the 2030 Agenda, which is why in 2018 it aligned its national development plan, committing itself to ending poverty, protecting the planet and ensuring that all people live in conditions of prosperity and resilience.
he continued, in order to achieve the goals of sustainable development, it is essential to implement measures and take sustainable action, not only at an environmental level, but also at an economic and social level.
"Although it is a commitment made by several states, which necessarily becomes the responsibility of governments and countries if the goals are to be achieved, everyone needs to be involved," she emphasised.
The minister pointed out that the aim of this event is to ensure alignment with the Nations and with the National Development Plan 2023/2027, in which the Angolan state proposes to promote neutral land degradation.
The workshop on "Sustainable Soil Management as a Tool to Combat Desertification" covered, among other topics, "Angola on the Global Map of Desertification", and the "Impact of Drought on Food Security and the Exploitation of Mineral Resources".
The event was attended by members of the government, academics, traditional and religious organisations and civil society.
Ana Paulo de Carvalho will travel to the municipality of Gambos, where she will visit the areas affected by the drought. BP/MS/DAN/DOJ
