Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-09-26-Speech-1-202-000"
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"en.20110926.22.1-202-000"2
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"Madam President, first I would like to thank Mr Deva for his report, for raising awareness on this very important issue and also for reminding us of the magnitude of the problem, which for a long time was not seen as so severe and was not so high on the international agenda. I would also like to thank him for the opportunity this gives me, on behalf of the Commission, to address this issue.
I would like to underline that the Commission agrees that dam infrastructure reinforcement has a multi-sectoral dimension which needs to be tackled in a comprehensive and holistic manner, ranging from watershed management to mitigation and adaptation measures, as well as capacity building and political dialogue between bordering states. This is, of course, always very important.
This resolution is timely as it properly focuses on all the issues related to dam building and their reinforcement, as well as on the necessary investment and technological adaptation to improve sustainability and minimise social, political and environmental side effects.
At global level, the EU is already fully engaged in fighting climate change and its effects. By its commitments in Copenhagen and Cancun, the Commission is thus fully engaged in supporting developing countries in implementing adaptation and mitigation measures, as included in the national development strategies and plans. In particular, at local level, the EU also promotes projects of sustainable development with small-scale operations more adapted to the local environment. Moreover, the report rightly highlights that glacier melting is increasing worldwide and is particularly intense – as was rightly pointed out in the report – in the Himalaya mountain range. The resulting increase in water flow has important impacts on downstream areas in some of the world’s most important river basins and densely populated agricultural areas, in particular in Asia, where 16 000 glaciers exist.
Therefore, the Commission welcomes the report and acknowledges that glacier melting in the Himalaya and the related glacier lake outburst floods are a growing problem which demands specific attention. Addressing this problem and other climate change-related issues will require a cross-border approach involving expertise in disaster risk reduction, watershed management, rural development and climate change adaptation. In this regard, the EU is already teaming up with the regional institutions with expertise in this field, such as the ICIMOD, a Nepal-based institute referred to in the EP report, as well as with the governments of the affected regions, in order to discuss possible actions and cooperation. For instance, overall support for the Asian region in the fight against climate change, including water basin management, is being provided as part of the Commission’s fast-starting financing through the Global Climate Change Alliance in Nepal and the new programme which will start in Bhutan in 2012.
I would like to thank the rapporteur."@en1
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