The government of Cyprus has decided to implement the Regional Action Plan as part of its national effort to contribute to the global fight against climate change, President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides said Thursday, in a videotaped address at the opening ceremony of the International Conference on the Climate Crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. The Conference, that began today and wraps up tomorrow in the coastal town of Larnaca, is co-organized by the Cyprus Institute and the Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts. The President of the Republic pointed out that the Regional Action Plan as well as a political declaration were approved in November 2022, at an event co-organized by Cyprus and Egypt in Sharm El Sheikh, with the participation of the heads of state and government of the countries that belong to the initiative, namely Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman and Palestine. The President congratulated the Cyprus Academy of Science, Letters and Arts, and the Cyprus Institute for their timely initiative, as he said, "to bring all of you here together, to discuss the ways and means to address the greatest challenge that humanity as a whole is currently facing". What brings us all here today, he noted, is our collective concern, and our determination to do our utmost to respond to a serious threat and a profound challenge. He said that home to over 450 million people, the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East region is experiencing increasingly severe climate change chain events, including extreme weather, rising temperatures, decreased rainfall, increased wildfires and rising sea levels, all of which have profound regional, but also global consequences. "The immediate and direct effects of climate change are those we all know very well. Climate data from recent years are not at all optimistic and just to give an example of the situation in our region in the past 4 decades in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East region, has warmed b y about 0.5°C per decade" he pointed out. The President continued by saying that projections under the business-as-usual scenario for the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East region, "are starkly pessimistic". In addition, as regards to Cyprus, he said that the numbers and the scientific predictions "are dire". "To mention just two examples in Cyprus, the last 5 years have been warmer by 1.5°C compared to the 1990-2010 average, with several months breaking records of the last 40 years. This situation has negative impacts on our human and natural environment, our ecosystems and the biodiversity and natural resources of our countries" President Christodoulides said. Furthermore, he pointed out that they affect human lives and livelihoods putting them at serious jeopardy, leading to health risks, agricultural and food insecurity, forced migration and climate induced displacement. Cyprus, President Christodoulides added, is in the unique position of being the only EU member state in the geographic area of t he Middle East. Building on that unique role, "our country has strived, since its accession to the EU in 2004, to act as a bridge, and a facilitator of synergies, common understanding, and cooperation between these two parts of the world. This conference here today, is a testament to this effort". Within this context, he went on to say, Cyprus undertook an Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Climate Change Initiative in 2019. The aim of this initiative, the President explained, was to foster regional synergies to mitigate the impact of climate change in the region, in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. At the core of the Initiative, he added, was the development of a detailed work-plan, underpinned by two fundamental pillars: a Scientific Research Project, and an intergovernmental Action Plan. With regards to the first pillar, which was led by the Cyprus Institute, President Christodoulides said that 240 scientists and experts, primarily from the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East region, a s well as representatives of International Organisations, formed thirteen Scientific Task Forces, with the aim of collecting existing knowledge about climate change in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East region, in order to produce a more detailed assessment of the current situation, identify gaps in research and policy needs, and produce a 'toolkit' of possible actions and recommendations to address the region's climate challenges. The second pillar of the initiative, the President added, included the development of a Regional Action Plan (RAP), based on the scientific recommendations of the team of experts and a series of scientific and ministerial conferences were held in 2021 and 2022 in Cyprus, to facilitate discussions on the development of the Action Plan. Recalling that in November 2022, at the COP 27 Summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Cyprus and Egypt co-organised a side event, with the participation of the Heads of States and Governments of the countries belonging to the initiative, namely Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman and Palestine, he said that at the event, a Political Declaration was adopted as well as the Regional Action Plan (RAP). The Regional Action Plan is a toolkit with policy recommendations, intended to be incorporated on a needs/capacities basis by participating states, both as part of their national action plans to mitigate and adapt to climate change, as well as through regional cooperation, between all, or subgroups of countries participating in the Initiative, the President noted. Furthermore, he said that the plan has a dynamic, rather than static character, and is intended to keep evolving, based on further contributions, developments of the climate crisis, and the advancement of scientific knowledge, data, and technology available. "The Plan is to be realized through projects, with the participation of a group of countries that so decide, and is open to future additional memberships", he said adding that the recommendations are based on region al suitability. Moreover, the President noted that several of the recommendations have a capacity building character, and propose a restructuring of economic activity that would lead to greener economy. "I am very pleased to announce today that my government has decided to revive this Initiative, and to make the Regional Action Plan operational as part of its national effort to contribute to the global fight against climate change," he added. In the next months, President Christodoulides said, "we intend to intensify our efforts, both at the political and the scientific level, in order to promote regional synergies with the aim of working together with the countries of our geographic neighbourhood to better prepare, manage and where possible reverse, the dire effects of climate change in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East region." He assured that the Cyprus government, and himself are fully committed to the continuation and strengthening of this initiative. Noting that we must act urgently, decisi vely, and collectively, he said that no one can change this course of action alone. "We need to act together, as neighbours and allies against climate change. A common, collective effort by our countries to combat this planetary crisis, could also form a paradigm shift, that will show the world that we can work together, in determination, cooperation and synergy, to leave our future generations a better world to live in" he underlined. The President invited all to walk the necessary path to climate neutrality together. "Let us work hand-in-hand, to build resilient, sustainable, and green businesses, communities and countries for the future of our youth and the prosperity of our region," he concluded. Source: Cyprus News Agency