BY NOMTHANDAZO MAYISELA (INTERN)
MBABANE– As climate change continues to place pressure on forests, agriculture and livelihoods, government officials and environmental stakeholders are working to strengthen Eswatini’s climate reporting systems through improved forestry data collection and analysis.
The Government of Eswatini, through the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs (MTEA), Department of Forestry and the Department of Meteorology, recently hosted a two-day workshop aimed at preparing for the country’s second cycle reporting under the Paris Agreement’s Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF).
The training focused on equipping analysts and stakeholders with skills in data collection and analysis to support the development of Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs), which are required under international climate reporting obligations.
According to the Ministry, the reports provide detailed information on greenhouse gas inventories and progress made towards Eswatini’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which outline the country’s commitments to addressing climate change.
A key part of the reporting process includes the development of the REDD+ Technical Annex and the updated National Inventory Report (NIR), both of which are important in tracking emissions linked to forests and land use.
The Ministry is now launching the second phase of data collection covering the period from 2023 to 2025 to ensure that national forest data remains accurate, transparent and aligned with international standards.
Stakeholders who attended the workshop included representatives from the Eswatini Environment Authority (EEA), the Ministry of Agriculture’s Land Use Department and the Eswatini National Trust Commission (ENTC).
For communities that depend on forests for livelihoods, water protection and environmental stability, accurate climate reporting plays an important role in helping the country develop informed responses to climate-related challenges.
As global attention increasingly focuses on climate accountability, Eswatini continues strengthening its systems to ensure that environmental data is credible and internationally recognised.
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(Courtesy Pic)
