Resolution [1]

on natural disasters in ACP States: EU funding for preparedness (EDF funds) and relief (ECHO funds)

The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly,

- meeting in Kigali (Rwanda) from 19 to 22 November 2007,

- having regard to Article 17(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the Cotonou Agreement, and in particular Articles 30 (regional cooperation) and 32 (environment and natural resources) thereof,

- having regard to the Environment Initiative of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD),

- having regard to the Decision on Climate Change and Development and the Decision on the implementation of the Green Wall for the Sahara Initiative, taken by the Assembly of the AU at its session of 29- 30 January 2007,

- having regard to Decision No 3 of the 79th Session of the ACP Council of Ministers, held in Gaborone (Botswana) on 4 and 5 May 2004, which reaffirmed the need to mainstream desertification policies and dry land issues in order to address critical sustainable management matters, such as drought, deforestation and water resources,

- having regard to Decision No 3/LXXIX/04 of the 4th Summit of ACP Heads of State and Government, held in Maputo (Mozambique) on 23 to 24 June 2004, which underlined the extreme vulnerability of many ACP States, regions and populations to natural disasters and their associated environmental problems, and encouraged a commitment to support pro-active initiatives to combat these problems,

- having regard to the Presidency Conclusions of the European Council of 8- 9 March 2007, underlining the importance of achieving the strategic objective of limiting the global average temperature to not more than 2 °C above pre-industrial levels,

- having regard to the agreement of the EU, Canada and Japan at the G8 meeting in Heiligendamm in June 2007 to at least halve the level of global emissions of CO2 by 2050,

- having regard to the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, and in particular to the Fourth Assessment Report of Working Group II of the IPCC entitled "Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability",

- having regard to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Report of 2005, studying the use and degradation of many of the planet's natural resources,

- having regard to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol,

- having regard to Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and the Statement of Principles for the Sustainable Management of Forests, adopted by more than 178 governments at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) from 3 to 14 June 1992 and whose principles were strongly reaffirmed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg (South Africa) from 26 August to 4 September 2002,

- having regard to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, which was adopted in Paris on 17 June 1994 and entered into force on 26 December 1996,

- having regard to the final report of the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) of 18- 22 January 2005 and, in particular, the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters,

- having regard to UN General Assembly Resolution 57/256 of 20 December 2002 on the review of the Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action for a Safer World — Guidelines for Natural Disaster Prevention, Preparedness and Mitigation, and the UN "Barbados plus 10" International Meeting on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) held in Mauritius in January 2005,

- having regard to its previous resolutions adopted on 1 April 1999 in Strasbourg on climate change and small island developing states in the context of the ACP-EU cooperation framework [2], on 19 February 2004 in Addis Ababa on the damage caused by cyclones in the Pacific, the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean and the need for a rapid response to natural disasters [3], on 25 November 2004 in The Hague on the hurricane damage in the Caribbean region [4] and on 24 November 2005 in Edinburgh on causes and consequences of natural disasters [5],

- having regard to the report of its Committee on Social Affairs and the Environment (APP/3802/05),

A. whereas disasters and the depletion of natural resources pose a serious threat to poverty reduction and to the achievement of the MDGs,

B. whereas the contribution of ACP countries to the causes of climate change is negligible, while they are the ones suffering its consequences most severely; whereas climate change can slow the pace of progress towards sustainable development, either directly through increased exposure to adverse impact or indirectly through erosion of the capacity to adapt,

C. whereas the impact of natural disasters is particularly detrimental for developing countries, reversing the beneficial effects of development cooperation, hampering further growth and poverty eradication and causing severe biodiversity losses,

D. whereas the ACP States face a key challenge to effectively address the long-term impact of natural disasters through developing and strengthening national and regional disaster risk reduction, recovery and management activities,

E. whereas ACP countries provide a wide range of ecosystem services to the world, without due compensation,

F. whereas new studies confirm that Africa is one of the most vulnerable continents to climate variability because of multiple stresses and low adaptative capability; whereas by 2020 between 75 and 250 million Africans are projected to be exposed to increased water stress due to climate change; whereas agricultural production, fisheries and access to food are also projected to be severely compromised,

G. whereas climate change is projected by 2050 to reduce water resources to the point where they become insufficient to meet demand in many small island states, e.g. in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Pacific, which are especially vulnerable to rises in sea-level and natural disasters,

H. whereas towards the end of the 21st century, projected rises in sea-level will affect low-lying coastal areas with large populations and are expected to exacerbate flooding, storm surges, erosion and other coastal hazards, affecting local resources and tourism, threatening settlements, facilities and vital infrastructure,

I. whereas non-climate stresses can increase vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters by reducing resilience and can also reduce adaptative capacity and the effects of prevention and mitigation policy because of resource deployment to competing needs,

J. whereas few plans for promoting sustainability and reducing vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters have included promoting adaptative capacity,

K. whereas DRR is primarily a national responsibility, and whereas there is a need for strengthened cooperation and partnership at the regional and international level,

L. whereas environmental concerns, disaster preparedness and prevention and climate change mitigation are not mainstreamed in all EC aid programmes and related instruments, while they are important for all countries,

M. whereas policies for the promotion of energy security and other mitigation efforts over the next decades will have a large impact on opportunities to achieve lower stabilisation levels of greenhouse gas emissions,

N. whereas the financial flows to developing countries through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and development assistance for technology transfer have so far been limited and geographically unequally distributed,

O. whereas making development more sustainable by changing development paths can make a major contribution to climate change mitigation, but implementation may require resources to overcome multiple barriers,

1. Stresses the threats posed by natural disasters and climate change to sustainable development, poverty eradication and the achievement of the MDGs; also stresses the importance of MDG 7 on ensuring environment sustainability;

2. Notes the growing number and frequency of natural disasters, their devastating impact and the particular vulnerability of poor people in these situations; underlines the increasing difficulty to distinguish natural from man-made disasters, when risks are determined not only by natural hazards, but also by human activity and lack of planning;

3. Stresses that there is a need for an effective global response to the problem of natural disasters in ACP countries in which industrialised countries should assume their responsibility and take the lead in combating the effects of greenhouse gases, which have contributed to climate change;

4. Asks ACP and EU governments and parliaments to ensure that the exploitation of natural resources does not cause major ecological imbalances; in this connection, notes with concern that excessive tree-felling and illegal logging can lead to desertification and other climatic changes, against which action should be taken through responsible and effective forestry policies, appropriate reafforestation practices and sustainable agricultural practices; calls on companies exploiting natural resources to comply with environmental standards and regulations;

5. Notes the consequences and the challenges of climate change, namely in the form of extreme weather conditions and receding natural resources, with serious development and security implications, like increased vulnerability, conflicts over natural resources and disaster-driven migration; underlines, therefore, that DRR must address climate change mitigation and adaptation;

6. Notes that natural disasters may lead to large-scale population movement and acknowledges that, although DRR is above all a national responsibility, it is incumbent on ACP and EU governments to demonstrate solidarity with affected nations;

7. Highlights the WHO warnings on the extremely high risk that global warming poses to health in Southern countries, particularly with regard to malaria and eyesight, and urges action to be taken to support measures to prevent, ameliorate and manage these exacerbated health problems;

8. Calls for a time-bound comprehensive strategy to mainstream DRR, disaster preparedness and climate change strategies into all National Development Plans, EU development policy and humanitarian aid; stresses that these strategies should support action by civil society, local communities and authorities in a long-term approach to reducing vulnerability to disasters;

9. Calls on EU Member States to support ACP countries in designing people-focused DRR, climate change and pre-crisis plans that should include mitigation and adaptation strategies, early warning systems, disaster preparedness and evacuation strategies, emergency safety zones, insurance schemes and the funding of humanitarian resources for rapid distribution; calls also on ACP countries to ensure these actions are a national and local priority with a strong institutional basis for implementation and taking into consideration the needs of vulnerable groups;

10. Calls on the EU to allocate at least 10 % additional funding to humanitarian assistance budgets for reducing disaster risks and to increase significantly resources for DRR and climate-change mitigation and adaptation within development aid budgets, without jeopardising other efforts, in particular in the field of basic health and education;

11. Underlines that ACP States and regions demand the support of the international community which is necessary in order to improve their national and regional disaster mitigation, preparedness and early warning capacities, increase public awareness about disaster reduction and prediction and respond to emergency situations,

12. Regrets the very low level of resources allocated to the ACP-EU Natural Disaster Facility, despite increasing needs, while welcoming its creation; calls on the EU to allocate additional resources to the Facility under the 10th EDF and other EU budget lines, in order to adequately assist ACP States and regions in DRR and emergency relief, rehabilitation and development (LRRD) capacity building and the financing of improved early-warning and rapid-response systems;

13. Urges the European Commission, therefore, to continue, under the 10th EDF, to support the ACP-EU Natural Disaster Facility, and to further extend its scope by providing at least EUR 250 million out of the resources earmarked for intra-ACP cooperation, also using part of the resources under the proposed "reserve" to assist ACP regions and ACP States, in particular the small island ACP States, in the comprehensive implementation of an all-ACP natural disaster preparedness and management programme and long term post-disaster reconstruction;

14. Believes that the European Development Fund (EDF) needs sufficient funding in order to assist developing countries in their adaptation and the mitigation of effects caused by climate change, emphasises in this regard the importance of capacity building, disaster prevention, education, working infrastructures and access to medicines, and points to the need to build capacity in science, impact and adaptation assessment, forecasting of risks, and the preparation of CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) projects;

15. Stresses the need to increase funding for the development of the relevant human resources for disaster prevention, preparedness, mitigation and management and for climate change adaptation, as well as for strengthening South-South cooperation in these areas;

16. Calls on the European Commission and EU Member States to take all the necessary measures to enable the quickest possible mobilisation of adequate financial support for emergency and humanitarian relief;

17. Stresses the need for a constant update of the ACP country environmental profiles and for environment mainstreaming in the Country Strategy Papers (CSPs), Regional Strategy Papers (RSPs) and thematic programmes; underlines the importance of associating national parliaments and civil society in this process;

18. Believes that development policy cannot be dissociated from environment and other policies and calls for a holistic sustainable development policy approach, which integrates the environmental dimension in ACP country and regional strategy papers, as well as in all development programmes and projects;

19. Calls for the Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) to become a key instrument in addressing disaster prevention and preparedness as well as climate-change adaptation and mitigation;

20. Urges ACP governments to design pre-crisis emergency and contingency plans that should include evacuation strategies, emergency safety zones, insurance schemes and the financing of humanitarian resources for rapid distribution;

21. Stresses the need for a truly global approach on natural disasters and climate change and calls on the international community to commit itself to international progressive solutions; calls, therefore, for the launch of negotiations at the UN International Climate Conference on a global and comprehensive post-2012 agreement, which should build upon and broaden the Kyoto Protocol;

22. Urges developed countries to commit more resources for the existing funding mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol and to seek to make these contributions a binding commitment;

23. Calls for the sharing of best practices, technology transfer and awareness raising, namely on land-use planning, construction in risk zones, safe building construction and the protection of critical facilities;

24. Calls for improved regional and international cooperation in order to facilitate information and communication technology (ICT) sharing and the continued financing of low-tech solutions such as radio in rural and remote locations;

25. Calls on ACP countries to agree regionally on the management of river basins, taking coordinated measures on water and fisheries resources;

26. Notes that the use of renewables, such as solar, wind and biomass energy, would make ACP countries less dependent on oil, calls on the EU and its Member States to transfer the appropriate technology and provide adequate funding, and urges the European Commission to review the criteria to include pro-environment, vulnerability and insularity criteria, in determining eligibility for access to the resources of the Energy and Water Facilities under the 10th EDF;

27. Calls on ACP and EU countries to fix a specific target for the use of renewable energy, and considers that renewable energy should be put at the heart of ACP-EU development cooperation programmes under the Cotonou Agreement;

28. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council, the European Commission, the African Union and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

[1] Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on 22 November 2007 in Kigali (Rwanda).

[2] OJ C 271, 24.9.1999, p. 30.

[3] OJ C 120, 30.4.2004, p. 44.

[4] OJ C 80, 1.4.2005, p. 36.

[5] OJ C 136, 9.6.2006, p. 22.

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