Holding the first ever official underwater meeting in the world underwater and that too of the country’s cabinet, Mr. Mohamed Nasheed, President of the Maldives has certainly achieved his objective of drawing the world’s attention to the pressing issue of climate change.
Calling attention to their country’s plight as a nation already feeling the effects of climate change, the ministers ratified a statement calling for rapid greenhouse gas reductions. The statement will be presented at the UN climate change talks in Copenhagen this December.
His speech at the UN Climate Summit and 64th General Assembly in September this year won him much acclaim and won much international goodwill and support for the plight of the Maldives and other low-lying countries facing from the ever-increasing threats of Climate Change. His message reached out to leaders across the globe, who are sitting up and taking notice of this grave and imminent danger facing the world.
The gravest threat is for the Maldives which stands hardly a meter above the sea. Addressing the UN Climate Change Summit, President Nasheed said, “ If things go business as usual, we will not live, we will die, our country will not exist.” He warned that world cannot come from Copenhagen empty handed and as a failure. “ We cannot make Copenhagen a pact for suicide, we have to succeed and we have to make a deal in Copenhagen,” the President appealed.
On his recent and second visit to India, President Mohamed Nasheed spoke about several issues on the climate change issue and also his country’s ties with India. One of Mr. Nasheed’s main concerns is that the UNFCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) format is too traditional.
Mr. Nasheed said, “Some richer countries don’t seem to see eye to eye on issues how we will be able to deal with climate change. India has no issue on the science of it unlike some other countries unwilling to do anything because they do not believe in what is happening. But the Indians are talking about a bigger picture of who should be more responsible on the predicament the world is facing. So I think here is an opportunity if we can have a common narrative both with India and also with some western countries. That might be beneficial for a better deal in Copenhagen.”
Rather than go by the Kyoto Protocol which is a list of things “we shouldn’t do”, which is very difficult to follow for a dynamic fast developing country ,he recommends shifting to more positive list that says “India should be producing so much renewable energy to the extent that mathematics comes down to the same-350 part per million and 1.5 degrees.” According to Mr. Nasheed, this would call for greater investment instead of reduction in consumption, would and make Copenhagen “a more positive thing rather than a negative thing.” This he feels is the way of the impasse.
On the relationship between the Maldives and India, President Nasheed said that the tone would be on strenhthening bilateral relations. Many Indian companies have shown great interest in investing in the Maldives and his Government was looking forward to this happening. Investments in the Maldives are lucrative and there are opportunities in education, transport, utilities, energy and water.
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