Poor affected by climate change

Lee Rondganger in the Daily News (South Africa): Weather patterns are changing rapidly in South Africa and severe weather events, such as drought, tornadoes, floods, and other natural disasters, will become common unless drastic action is taken to curb climate change. This is according to Edna Molewa, Minister of Environmental Affairs who was addressing a pre-COP17 summit in Durban on Tuesday, before the global climate talks due to be held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre next week.

She was addressing the nine social development MECs from across the country, scientists and a host of government officials who are readying themselves for next week’s 17th Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP17). Molewa who will lead the South African delegation at COP17, said climate change was the biggest sustainable development challenge of our time.

“The latest scientific reports tells us that our country will become drier in the west and wetter in the east, accompanied by an increase in the frequency of severe weather events, such as drought, tornadoes, floods, and other natural disasters…

“We, as a developing country, seek a global regime that ensures that climatic changes do not reach dangerous levels, whilst recognising that priority for developing countries is to address poverty and socio-economic development,” she said....