Kigali — In its drive to protect its environment, Rwanda is hosting a workshop with countries that have similar challenges to discuss long term adaptation to climate change. The five days' brings together 80 specialists from Anglophone Least Developed Countries, with an aim of sharing skills that will enable them to deal with the challenge of global warming through short, medium and long-term adaptation plans.

Opening the workshop, Ambassador Stanislas Kamanzi, Minister of Natural Resources, said the workshop is important because it enables participants to build their capacity in successfully dealing with the challenges of global warming. He highlighted some of the concrete efforts Rwanda has undertaken to mitigate adverse effects of climate change:

"Rwanda mainstreamed climate change in its poverty reduction strategy and long term development strategy. We also established a special climate unit in our environment management Aauthority to work on this. Equally important, Rwanda has put in a place a national adaptation program with concrete action."

"We are truly committed to mitigating the risk of climate change by working with partners to enact key policies," he added.

Recently, the National Fund for Environment (FONERWA) was created. It is a new initiative set up to support environmental protection by supporting public and private clean energy and green life initiatives. So far FONERWA has funded the purchase and installation of 24 meteorological stations.

Dr. Rose Mukankomeje, Director General of REMA noted the workshop is strategic for Rwanda because the Least Developed Countries Expert Group will interact with Rwandan experts in order to gain a deeper understanding of the issues faced by our country, and hence be able to provide direct advice and technical support.

Participating countries include Angola, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Haiti, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi; Tanzania, Sudan and others.

The workshop was organised by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in collaboration with Rwanda's Environment Management Authority.