ABIDJAN, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Cote d'Ivoire has pledged to make environmental protection a national priority and says climate change is already impacting the country.

Speaking Friday on World Environment Day, Minister of Environment and Ecological Transition Abou Bamba called for collective action to combat pollution and the effects of climate change.

"Nearly seven million people die prematurely every year worldwide due to deteriorating air quality, mainly caused by emissions from transportation, industrial activities, agricultural practices and poor waste management," he said.

"We share a single planet whose preservation is an essential collective responsibility," he said, stressing the urgency of taking action against a phenomenon that reduces life expectancy and threatens public health.

According to the minister, Cote d'Ivoire is not spared from the consequences of climate change.

Irregular rainfall, rising temperatures, recurrent flooding, landslides, coastal erosion, and the degradation of agricultural land are among the effects being observed in the country, he noted.

"Added to this is the disappearance of nearly 80 percent of Cote d'Ivoire's forest cover, a situation that further reduces the country's capacity to absorb carbon emissions," the minister said.

In response to these challenges, the government has undertaken measures to strengthen the country's environmental resilience, he said. ■