As part of the fight against the degradation of the coastal landscape and the impacts of climate change, the Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources (MERF) through the Office for Development and Exploitation of Forests (ODEF) officially launched on September 20, 2022 at the Sarakawa Hotel, the project entitled “Strengthening the resilience to climate change of coastal communities in Togo”. This project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and aims to strengthen the resilience to climate change of coastal communities in Togo through an integrated approach focused on adaptation based on ecosystems and livelihoods.

The official launching ceremony was organized in order to share with the beneficiary population the activities planned under the said project. Some 100 participants from various institutions and non-governmental organizations involved in the management of marine and coastal ecosystems in Togo took part. (The attendance list is appended to this report).

1. The opening

The opening ceremony of the launch was marked by three interventions, namely, the welcome word from the Director General of ODEF, the word of opportunity from the interim representative of FAO, and the launching speech by the Minister of Environment and Forest Resources.

1.1 Welcome from DG ODEF

In his welcome speech, the Director General of ODEF, Lt/Col, Dr. ALABA Pyoabalo, first welcomed the participants and then recalled that the launch of the project “Strengthening the resilience to climate change of coastal communities in Togo” (R4C) is the result of iterative work between the Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources and its various technical and financial partners, in this case the fund for the global environment (GEF) and the United Nations Organization for Food and Agriculture (FAO), which he thanked. He recalled the importance and the objective of the said project, which is financed to the tune of US $8,932,420 for a period of five years covering the period from 2022 to 2026. The speaker also recalled the perverse effects of climate change, which imposed on our country, like many other countries on our planet, daunting challenges in terms of mitigation and adaptation in the face of the negative effects of climate change.

 

1.2. A word of circumstance from FAO

The acting representative of FAO, Mr. SUKATI Mphumuzi, delivered the FAO special speech. First of all, he conveyed to the audience the warm greetings of the Director General of FAO, His Excellency Mr. QU Dongyu, and in turn welcomed all participants. The speaker then expressed the gratitude of his institution to the highest authorities of Togo for the trust that it enjoyed in them. For Mr. SUKATI, the project launching ceremony is a tangible proof of the good collaboration that exists between the Togolese Government and FAO, through the Ministry of the Environment and Forest Resources. And it is precisely this collaboration that made it possible, he said, to obtain funding of nearly 9 million US dollars from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), to strengthen the resilience of coastal communities in Togo in the face of climate change in accordance with the three major axes, namely:

• integration of climate change adaptation into sectoral policies and programmes;
• integrated management and restoration of Togolese coastal ecosystems to improve the livelihoods of communities;
• improvement of production systems through better adaptation technologies and innovative practices in vulnerable ecosystems.

Finally, he expressed his gratitude to the Minister of Environment and Forest Resources once again and reaffirmed FAO's commitment to Togo in its policy of protecting and developing its coastal zone.

 

1.2. Launch speech by the Minister of Environment and Forest Resources (MERF)

At the beginning of his speech, the Minister of Environment and Forest Resources, Mr. FOLI BAZI Katari, warmly welcomed all participants and expressed his feelings of gratitude for their effective presence at the launching ceremony of the project to “strengthen the resilience to climate change of coastal communities in Togo”. After recalling the sectors most affected by the harmful effects of climate change, which are among others: energy, agriculture and forestry and other land uses, the minister recalled the numerous initiatives of Togo in terms of sustainable coastal management, in particular through the “Integrated Disaster and Land Management Project” (PGICT), which is among others: energy, agriculture and forestry and other land uses, which are among others: energy, agriculture and forestry and other land uses, the Minister recalled Togo's numerous initiatives in sustainable coastal management, in particular through the “Integrated Disaster and Land Management Project” (PGICT), financed by the World Bank, the “Project to invest in the resilience of coastal areas in West Africa (WACA-ResIP)”, financed by the World Bank, the project “Strengthening the resilience of women and young people in the coastal zone of Togo through income-generating activities”, financed by the GEF and the “Promotion of sustainable development and resilience to climate change” (eco-village) project funded by UNDP. He then specified that to strengthen these efforts to combat the vulnerability of coastal communities to climate change, Togo has obtained financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in order to implement over the next five years (2022 - 2026), the present project “Strengthening the resilience to climate change of coastal communities in Togo” for a total cost of 8,932,420 USD or four billion four hundred sixty-six million two hundred ten thousand francs (4,466,210,000) FCFA. According to the speaker, the expected results of the project at the end of the project include:

• 99,500 people from coastal and coastal communities improved their livelihoods through innovative technologies and solutions;
• 100 entrepreneurs (50% of whom are women) from 78 cooperatives (cocoa, palm, moringa) are supported to improve their production systems through adaptation technologies and innovative practices,
• 1,000 ha of lagoon banks, 500 ha of degraded land and 100 ha of restored community and sacred forests;
• 08 adaptation plans integrating the ecosystem-based adaptation approach are developed for the eight (08) municipalities.

The Minister reaffirmed the commitment of the Head of State in the fight against climate change and the fight against poverty through the Togo 2025 government roadmap in its axis 3 and its priority project P35 “response to major climate risks” whose objective is to put sustainable development and the forecasting of future crises at the heart of the country's priorities. In the end, he wanted to thank very sincerely all of Togo's technical and financial partners and in particular the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for their technical and financial support from which our country benefits and which will make it possible to contribute effectively to the achievement of this objective. With these words, the Minister solemnly launched the project to strengthen the resilience of coastal communities in Togo to climate change.

 

2. Presentation of the R4C project

In addition to the interventions of the officials, and the interludes (performances by a group of Ballets), the launching ceremony was also marked by the presentation of the R4C project by the coordinator, Lt/Col BAKABIMA Ditorgue. In his presentation, he presented the objectives, the project area and the challenges of the R4C project at first before analyzing the various components and institutional arrangements as well as the implementing bodies. It is therefore clear from his communication that the project is structured in four components which are:

5. integration of CCA into sectoral policies and programmes and capacity building at national and sub-national levels for climate impact and adaptation assessment and planning;
6. g integrated coastal management to restore degraded ecosystems and improve the livelihoods of coastal communities;
7. to improve production systems through best adaptation practices and innovative technologies in vulnerable ecosystems;
8. monitoring the project and disseminating the results.

3. Closing of the launch ceremony

The closing ceremony of the launch was marked around 11:15am, mainly by a cocktail offered by the project coordination which allowed the various participants to discuss the project more and to express their grievances.

Done in Lomé, on 22/09/2022

 

Cdt Eric AGBESSI

UGP/R4C