President Yameen calls for timely global action to address climate change

Low-lying regions and small island states are at the forefront of those facing the effects of climate change and timely global action to address climate change is necessary, President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has said.

In his message on the occasion of World Environment Day 2014, President Yameen also referred to the findings of the Working Group II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and emphasized that changes in climate have caused impacts on natural and human systems on all continent and across the oceans.

“Impacts from recent climate-related extremes reveal significant vulnerabilities and expose some ecosystems and many human systems to current climate vulnerability. At the forefront of those facing the effects of climate change are communities living in the world’s low-lying regions and small island states”, the President highlighted.

Elaborating on this year’s Environment Day theme, “Raise Your Voice, Not the Sea Level”, President Yameen welcomed the special focus to be afforded to small island nation states such as the Maldives, particularly in line with the United Nations designating 2014 as the International Year of Small Island Developing States.

President Yameen noted that Maldives environment is highly susceptible to the negative effects of development and that Maldives must focus on protecting the environment to achieve sustainable growth.