Pretoria - South Africa has joined the rest of the world in a call for action to combat climate change as it celebrates World Environment Day (WED).
The annual WED, which is celebrated on 5 June, aims to spread awareness of the environment while creating awareness of the need to preserve and enhance the environment.
The day recalls the opening day of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, 1972 which led to the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme.
Commenting on this year's WEC themed, "Your Planet Needs You! Unite to combat climate change" Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs Buyelwa Sonjica emphasised the important role that all South Africans have in addressing climate change, adding that communities play a pivotal role in changing attitudes towards the environment.
"We need to raise and enhance awareness around climate change so that the climate change message could become accessible to all citizens especially the poor who are also the most vulnerable to this phenomenon.
"They are the ones at the coalface and are at the receiving end thereof, we need to demystify the concept to the point where those of our community living in the rural and depressed areas of our country understand and embrace the message that we communicate," Ms Sonjica said.
WED takes place at a time when South Africa is drafting the policy framework for climate change, following the 2009 Climate Change Summit in March this year.
The summit laid the foundation for a participatory process that will culminate in a Policy White Paper on Climate Change by 2010 and the translation of this policy into a legislative and regulatory fiscal package by 2012.
The celebration also takes place immediately after the conclusion of the special session of the African Ministers Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) in Nairobi under the chairpersonship of Minister Sonjica.
During the conference it was highlighted that the priority of African countries is to implement climate change programmes in a way that helps achieve sustainable development, particularly with emphasis on alleviating poverty and attaining the Millennium Development Goals.
At the same conference the minister and 30 of her African colleagues adopted the Nairobi Declaration, which highlights major challenges and opportunities in the negotiations for a more equitable climate regime.
The Declaration provides African countries with a platform to make a strong case for support at Copenhagen 2009.
