Fadiel Baksoellah

Anton de Kom University of Suriname

15/9/18

The influence of public international law in confronting climate change

threats in Suriname with specific reference to adaptation and mitigation
measures to be implemented.

Introduction
Climate change is the change in the average weather type or climate over a given period. It is one
of the biggest challenges facing humanity. This phenomenon will bring drastic changes in the
environment, which can also have a big impact in our lifestyle (Nimos, 2003, p. 20). Global
climate change is a result of both natural processes on earth and extreme forces (such as
variations in sunlight and intensity) and human activities (such as burning of fossil fuels and
deforestation), (Ministry of Labor, Technological Development and Environment, 2013, p. 3).
The climate problem has arisen since the industrial revolution. Which caused the emission of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to increase drastically. This increase was caused by the
burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and petroleum. The greenhouse gas, which is indispensable
when talking about the climate change problem, is CO2. CO2 and other gases ensure the presence
of an insulating blanket around the planet. This blanket ensures that the heat of the sunlight is
retained. As a result of drastic deforestation, nature ensures that less CO2 is converted into
Oxygen (Ministry of Labor, Technological Development and Environment, 2013, p. 3).
According to the temperature measurements of the Meteorological Service Suriname, a rising
trend has been observed over the past 40 years. The people, society, economy and the
environment of Suriname are already influenced by extreme weather and climate events, and are
increasingly at risk of climate-related effects. According to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change), there is a great chance that globally, starting from the industrial revolution,
a temperature rise of 2 degrees Celsius will occur if one continues to carry out activities that emit
greenhouse gases.

Consequences of climate change

Climate change has consequences for people, animals and the weather. Change of climate will
cause the following phenomena; heat waves, droughts, flooding, damage to ecosystems, threat to
food production, damage to health. As a result of the rise in temperature, the habitats of the
animals will change worldwide. Tropical pests and diseases are also increasing. The increase
also ensures that people die from heat and malnutrition. Because the big rivers shrink in the dry
season and tropical areas the yields of agriculture can be up to twenty percent lower. In addition,
millions of people run an extra risk of water shortage. The temperature on earth will rise, but
locally the effects can be very different. If no measures are taken, chances are that large parts of
the plants and animal species will die (WWF, Terry Domico). Suriname is internationally under
the small island states because of its low coastline that is very vulnerable to sea level rise. Due to
the low lying coast fertile lands will be lost at a sea level rise, freshwater sources decrease as a
result of salinisation, biodiversity and health conditions decrease drastically. A tropical climate
such as that of Suriname, has particularly favorable conditions for the spread of tropical diseases
such as Malaria, Dengue, Yellow Fever, Bilharzia (Schistosomiasis) and the Weil`s disease
(Leptospirosis). The changes are also noticeable in the spread and intensity of the rain and the
dry time. Sometimes there is more heavy rain in a short time and sometimes it stays dry longer.
Floods occur during heavy rains. These floods can be long-term, making water very difficult to
drain, leaving areas under water for longer. According to statistics from the National
Coordination Center for Disaster Control (NCCR), Suriname has an increase in strong winds,
material damage and damage in households. In the year 2010 there were 77 affected households.
During the years after that number has continued to rise until in 2015 a maximum of 207 affected
households was reached.

Combat Climate Change

Climate change is an international problem. This makes it easier to deal with the problem
through international relations. The international relations with hierarchical International
Organizations have made their intro to the founding of the United Nations (Fischer et al, 2001, p.
44). International relations are accompanied by five important values; security, freedom, order
justice, prosperity and well-being. These values are subdivided into four main streams, namely,
realism, liberalism, English school and International Political Economy (Leurdijk, 2001, p.43).
To combat climate change climate and it`s impacts, different conventions have been adopted.
Thus, in 1992, Suriname signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) and ratified it in 1997. The UNFCCC aims to stabilize the concentrations of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere in order to prevent anthropogenic disturbances of the climate
system. This level should be achieved within a timeframe sufficient to enable ecosystems to
adapt naturally to climate change. In this way, food production is not being stopped and
economic development increases sustainably (UNFCCC: Article 2). The convention contains
binding rules that indicate how much greenhouse gas may be emitted per country and it also does
not contain any sanctions on the emission of greenhouse gases. It does, however, state through
supplementary conventions, how countries can negotiate to set a limit for the emission of
greenhouse gases. Until December 2015, 197 countries were parties to this convention. Since
1995, the parties of this convention meet annually at the so-called Conferences of the Parties
(COP) to discuss developments in the approach to climate change. The UNFCCC was further
elaborated in the Kyoto Protocol (1997), which entered into force on 16 February 2005. This
protocol states that industrialized countries agree to reduce the emission of their greenhouse
gases by 5 percent in the period 2008 to 2012 compared to 1990 levels. Different reductive
percentages apply per country.

The policy of climate change

The Constitution of the Republic of Suriname provides a legal basis for a national environmental
policy. Article 6q. states that the government is responsible for creating and stimulating
conditions that are important for the protection of nature and the maintenance of ecological
balance. The government knows the environment is very important. For this reason, the
Environment Directorate of the former Ministry of Labor, Technological Sciences and the
Environment (now Labor Technological Sciences), was transferred to the President's Office
together with the NIMOS (National Institute for Environment and Development in Suriname) in
2014. No programs relating to climate change have yet been developed from the President's
Office. In this context, the environmental problem immediately falls under the President. The
government is aware that a healthy environment is not only important for living organisms on
earth. It is also possible to ignore the sustainability of social economic planning and decision-
making (Development Plan 2012-2016). Considering that Suriname is a party to the UNFCCC,
an integrated environmental policy must be drawn up with principles of sustainability as the
basis. According to Dr. S. Naipal all policy instruments must be used in the implementation. He
also indicated that the communicative policy instrument can be both strong and weak. According
to him, it is weak, if the government does it through television programs, because of the fact that
not everyone looks at television and not everyone is interested in this sort of programs. He
indicated that the government will have to provide information, taking into account the different
target groups. Various strategies and government agencies are involved in the implementation of
UNFCCC, namely; Annual Speech 2016, Development Plan 2012-2016, National Biodiversity
Action Plan (NBAP), National Plan for Policy, Strategy and Action on Climate Change
(NCCPSAP) 2014-2021, Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of
Spatial Planning Land and Forest Management, National Institute for Environment and
Development in Suriname (NIMOS). In the annual speech of the 2016 President, the date on
which priority will be given will be given to policy measures relating to climate change. For
example, the development plan for 2012 and 2016 and the National Biodiversity Action Plan
2012-2016 (NBAP) will also be launched here. The National Plan for Policy, Strategy and
Action on Climate Change (NCCPSAP) is the logical next step to enable Suriname to resist the
effects of a changing climate, to provide a clear roadmap for responding to the challenges of a
changing climate, seizing the opportunities for climate compatible development and attracting
climate finance. The NCCPSAP offers the following: A National Policy on Climate Change that
is consistent with the National Development Plan of Suriname, A National Strategy on Climate
Change, A National Action Plan on Climate Change that describes programs and measures to be
taken for each national theme of development planning (Final Surinamese National Plan for
Policy, Strategy and Action on Climate change, 2015, p. 16).
Conclusion
Climate change knows no boundaries. It is a serious threat to the economic and social
development of Suriname. The National Development Plan 2012-2016 of Suriname, the Second
National Communication to the UNFCCC (2013) and the Environmental Policy Plan 2012-2016
all recognize the importance of climate change effects and opportunities for low-carbon
development. The National Plan for Policy, Strategy and Action on Climate Change (2014-2021)
is an important step forward in integrating climate change into it decision-making process in
Suriname.
References:

- Final Surinamese National Plan for Policy, Strategy and Action on Climate change, 2015,
p. 16). Ministry of Labor, Technological Development and Environment
- Fischer G., Parrya M.L., Rosenzweigb C., Iglesiasc A., Livermores M., Effects of climate
change on global food production under SRES emissions and socio-economic scenarios,
2001.
- Leurdijk D., Grünfeld F, Handboek Internationaal Recht, 2001.
- Ministry of Labor, Technological Development and Environment, 2013.
- Naipal S., Becker C., First National Communication to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change, 2003.

Websites:
- Meteorological Service Suriname http://www.meteosur.sr/
- National Coordination Center for Disaster Control (NCCR),
http://www.nccr.sr.org/smartcms/default.asp
- UNFCCC: Article 2
https://unfccc.int/files/meetings/bonn_oct_2015/application/pdf/african_group_article_2_
purpose_19_october_2015_.pdf
- WWF, Terry Domico
http://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/endangered_species/cacti/