Africa-Press – Mauritius. The Attorney General and Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mr Maneesh Gobin, met, this afternoon in Port Louis, the new Adviser and Manager of the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH), Dr Oduetse Koboto.
In a statement after the meeting, Dr Koboto said that he had a very fruitful meeting with Minister Gobin and added that discussions focused on the services provided by the CCFAH.
He explained that the Hub provides policy support to Governments in terms of designing bankable projects that can be submitted to international institutions for financing. The overall objective, he emphasised, is to help countries to respond to the impacts of climate change.
He further stated that agriculture is the most affected sector by climate change while highlighting that food security is also impacted which is a national priority around the world.
Discussions, he added, also focused on how to collaborate in designing bankable projects as well as reviewing mechanisms of production in Mauritius where modern technical technologies can be introduced to help enhance the productivity of the agricultural sector in the country.
The Adviser and Manager of the CCFAH highlighted that the water issue in Rodrigues was also at the fore of discussions and stated that solutions for drinking water and desalination were on the agenda.
The objective, he said, is to provide support in designing projects that can deliver on such needs. Dr Oduetse Koboto originates from Botswana. He joined the CCFAH as the Manager and Adviser based in Mauritius.
Previously, he served as the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resource, Conservation and Tourism which is also responsible for climate change coordination in Botswana. Before joining the government, he was the Head of Unit as well as Environment and Climate Change Specialist at UNDP in Botswana for over four years.
Dr Koboto holds a Doctorate in Public International Law from China University of Political Science and Law (2013), a Master’s Degree in International Environmental Law (2009), and a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from the University of Western Cape (2007) from the Republic of South Africa.
The CCFAH The CCFAH first opened its door in Mauritius in September 2016. As the central Hub, it receives and manages requests for capacity and technical assistance to secure climate finance.
In 2017, the Hub began deploying experts to ministries of finance and environment to help developing countries access the billions of dollars pledged for effective climate action.
Serving both as the host and a beneficiary country of the technical assistance provided by CCFAH, some US$3.5 million worth of climate finance has successfully been mobilised through this support.
The Hub helps countries to unlock the available climate finance. Through this initiative, small and vulnerable member states are assisted to bid for and gain increased access to climate finance.
The process is achieved through supporting the development of grant proposals and project pipelines; building human and institutional capacity; providing technical advisory services; and facilitating cross-Commonwealth cooperation and sharing of experiences and expertise by Commonwealth National Climate Finance Advisers who are deployed and embedded in relevant government ministry departments.
For More News And Analysis About Mauritius Follow Africa-Press
