Union Minister for Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation U Khin Maung Yi, attended the Belem Climate Summit, being held from 6-7 November, in Belem, Brazil, at the invitation of Brazilian President Mr Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, on behalf of Acting President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and State Security and Peace Commission Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
During the opening ceremony on 6 November, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivered a speech saying to make efforts to bring temperatures back below 1.5 degrees Celsius and to stop the deforestation in 2030, and he also reiterated the need to support developing countries and called for a clear path to achieving the target of US$1.3 trillion a year in climate finance by 2035. Developed countries must take the lead in mobilizing US$300 billion annually, he added.
The Brazilian President and participants then made speeches respectively.
At noon, the dialogue under the topic “climate and nature: forests and oceans” was held, and Union Minister U Khin Maung Yi discussed that the long-term sustainability of forest and marine ecosystems is fundamental to enhancing climate resilience, conserving biodiversity, and supporting the sustainable livelihoods of coastal communities. He stated that Myanmar is one of the world’s most biologically diverse countries, officially recognized for its rich biodiversity, with 42.19 per cent of its total land area covered by forests. The government has set a goal to increase forest coverage to 50 per cent of the country’s total area and is implementing relevant policies and priority actions to promote the development of the forestry sector.
He continued that according to the Paris Agreement, Myanmar’s “Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)” is a key strategic area, and efforts are being made to establish forest reserves and protected public forests for 30 per cent of the country and natural conservation areas for 10 per cent by 2030. The country also protects over 500,000 hectares of mangroves along the coast, and prioritizes the Blue Economy. Moreover, approval has been made for Myanmar to sign the “Tropical Forests Forever Facility- TFFF”.
In the evening, the Union Minister joined the dinner event.
Twenty-two countries signed the TFFF of Brazil, and it has been endorsed by 53 countries. — MNA/KTZH
