Water is scarce in the desert landscape of the Sinai Peninsula. The problem of climate change is also increasing in other parts of Egypt. However, it was probably not expected that the UN climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh would also have no water for the first few days. As early as Monday night, thousands of conference attendees from around the world were already unable to obtain supplies from many of the water dispensers in the area.
Tuesday the organizers filled up again. But on Wednesday, many free water dispensers were empty again. Meanwhile, the refrigerators at the food stalls are filled with lemonades from beverage giant Coca-Cola. Much to the chagrin of many environmentalists, the US company is one of the sponsors of this year’s global climate conference. Environmentalists have long accused the company of being a huge contributor to global plastic pollution.
“The food supply is catastrophic”
Participants also complain about a shortage of snacks at the food stands and long queues at the food stands. “The food supply is catastrophic,” said a representative of an NGO that has attended world climate conferences for 15 years.
NGO participant secretly spreads sandwiches
Because she also does not have time to stand in long lines at the food stalls on the convention site, she “secretly spreads sandwiches every day at the breakfast buffet in the hotel,” according to the NGO representative. For the many participants from developing countries, the COP27 prices – for example the equivalent of a good 10 euros for a sandwich – are also far too high.
Free coffee and tea on the convention site
Given the bottlenecks, “many are now resorting to carts of bottled water and food” from a nearby supermarket, according to a newsletter from the climate network GSCC on Wednesday. The network immediately offered practical help by placing the pavilions on the congress site where free coffee or tea is available. “Oases in the Desert” was the joking title of this offering. Unlike previous years, the German Pavilion is not one of these contact points.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
