Over 50 African countries agree to work on minimising impact of mineral mining

Subject :Environment

Section: Biodiversity

Context:

Environment ministers of the African continent have agreed to institute national and regional strategies to minimise environmental impacts in the extraction and processing of critical mineral resources.
The continent is facing several challenges as countries, especially China, rush to Africa for its mineral resources.

Addis Ababa Declaration of 2023:

The 19th African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) 2023 held from August 14 to 18, 2023 at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The theme for AMCEN 2023 was “Seizing Opportunities and Enhancing Collaboration to Address Environmental Challenges in Africa”
Participation: 54 countries of Africa participated
Key outcome:
- Addis Ababa declaration (18 August 2023)
- FirstAfrica UN Science-Policy-Business Forum launched by UNEP Deputy Executive Director Elizabeth Mrema.
Stated goal of the declaration: To increase the global finance flow to at least $100 billion per year.
Key environmental challenges faced by the continent was acknowledged in the declaration:
- Land degradation
- Desertification and
- Drought
The declaration prioritizes urgent, wide-ranging action on environmental challenges related to climate change, plastics pollution, marine protection, biodiversity conservation and natural capital.
These actions would minimize environmental impacts and contribute to the global goals of mitigating climate change, protecting ecosystems and promoting sustainable development.
The countries also committed to take appropriate measures to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
They will work towards closing the biodiversity finance gap of $700 billion per year.
Countries agreed to work on a priority to implement the Africa Blue Economy Strategy of the African Union.

Africa Blue Economy Strategy of the African Union:

Strategy by: African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR)
The objective of the BE Strategy is to guide the development of an inclusive and sustainable blue economy that becomes a significant contributor to continental transformation and growth, through advancing knowledge on marine and aquatic biotechnology, environmental sustainability, the growth of an Africa-wide shipping industry, the development of sea, river and lake transport, the management of fishing activities on these aquatic spaces, and the exploitation and beneficiation of deep sea mineral and other resources.