Start Date : 7 Oct 09   End Date : 7 Oct 09 Location: Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso

On 7 October 2009, the launch of the Cities in Climate Change Initiative (CCCI) was held in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.

The Deputy Mayor of Bobo Dioulasso, Madame Assita Ouattara launched the initiative that is focused on building the capacity of the local authority to cope with the effects of climate change. The launch was attended by 80 participants, including municipal councillors, researchers, practitioners, women’s organisations, youth, private sector and community members.

Mme. Ouattara called on municipal authorities in the Sahel countries, such as Burkina Faso, to be conscious about their vulnerability to climatic forces, such as drought, desertification and flooding, and adopt measures to mitigate against the adverse effects.

Mme. Ouattara stressed that it was the responsibility of the national and local governments, as well as all stakeholders, to act now so as to determine the destiny of our planet. As such, she said that the Municipality of Bobo Dioulasso has resolved to invest in leading the fight for sustainable development and is committed to the programme for building the capacity of the council to cope with climate change.

Her speech inspired the assembled participants who then raised a lot of issues regarding sustainable urban development and identified a multitude of priority areas such waste management and recycling, water and sanitation, greening of the city, and renewable energies.

Burkina Faso has signed various conventions, protocols and accords on climate change, has adopted a national plan of action as well as several poverty reduction strategies. This has laid the foundation for the hosting of the Summit/Forum on Sustainable Development for Heads of African Governments focusing on the issue of climate change in preparation for the World Summit on Climate Change to be held in Copenhagen in December 2009.