Environment Minister speaks for LDC at Bali Summit

17 December 2007
Report: Ayya

Environment Minister Ahmed Abdullah has said that Least Developed Countries (LDC) are confident that the Climate Change Conference in Bali has provided a window of opportunity to start a negotiating process which will make member countries of the United Nations to commit on targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Minister said so while speaking at the Bali Climate Conference on behalf of the least developed countries.

Minister Abdullah said climate change is pausing grave consequences to the whole world and unless immediate and effective action is taken, there are risks of catastrophic consequences according to science. He said that least developed countries and small island countries are facing more serious threats from climate change. Therefore, these countries deserve more urgent and sympathetic support from the international community and developed countries.

Abdullah further said that he hopes Bali road map and post Kyoto Protocol climate change action program would include the much-needed adaptation and mitigation measures in addition to the necessary finance and affordable transfer of technologies as major building blocks. He also stressed the importance of advocacy, information and awareness coupled with inculcating green life styles and behaviors for winning climate change. Capacity building is another essential part of that, he said.

Minister Abdullah applauded Nobel Prize winners US Vice President Al Gore and IPCC for their outstanding contribution to this great task. He also congratulated UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and UNFCCC’s Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer. The Minister commended EU for its strong commitment and proactive action. Mr. Abdullah warmly congratulated Australia for joining Kyoto Protocol and appealed to others which have not done so to join it soon.

Maldives Minister highlighted on the serious impacts including extensive coastal erosion, unprecedented strong swells and changing trends of weather, sea level rise, destroying of coral reefs and depletion of marine species which the Maldives are experiencing in the face of rapidly worsening climate change.

Maldives also called upon all countries to join together and make best out of the Bali Conference and create history.

Maldives together with other small island countries worked closely in Bali for integrating human dimensions of climate change in the Bali road map as a follow up of the Male' Conference on Human Dimensions of Climate Change.

All small island countries made a strong call for immediate help to tackle problems of climate change as they are the worst effected and it is a matter of life and survival in those countries.

President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who has long articulated for protecting environment and finding sustainable urgent solutions to climate change was one of the keynote speakers in the inauguration of the Bali Conference. He has said there is no option to road map in Bali and we must seize this opportunity.