Threat of climate change is undoubtedly more acute for small island states: Shahid

The threat of climate change is undoubtedly more acute for small island states and low-lying coastal areas, says Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid.

While the minister is in New Delhi, India to participate in this year’s edition of the Raisina Dialogue, he delivered his keynote speech during the dialogue on Wednesday afternoon.

As such, the minister stated that the small island states are often the states that have done little for the problem to arise, and yet they are impacted the most. Being the least developed states facing the issue of inability to afford the expensive measures required to be adapted in order to battle the issue, FM Shahid said that Maldives describes climate change as a security and a human rights challenge.

Highlighting that “a problem well-stated is a problem half-solved”, the minister stated that such is the case with climate change which is described as an environmental challenge by most of the world.

While Shahid earlier reminded the UN security council that a mean sea-level rise two meters will suffice to virtually submerge the entire Maldives, he highlighted that there is a mutual dependency between Maldives and the Indian Ocean region which will have its peace and security impacted with even the slightest instability. In this regard, any change, be it geological, geopolitical or geo-economical will have a magnifying impact on Maldives, said Shahid.

Also, the minister said that believing that other countries will not be affected by climate change is a red herring because it is already affecting the entire globe.

Shedding light on the reality of the waters of Indian Ocean being ferocious and having the potential to engulf the entire Maldives which was clearly seen during the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004, Shahid said that for over 2,500 years, Maldivians have lived with this reality, primarily by respecting the ocean, the marine ecosystem for what it is and the power it represents and secondly by adapting and learning to live in harmony as well as by learning to harness the bounty and gifts of the ocean sustainably.

Highlighting that between 1.4 and 12.8 million metric tons of plastic are floating around in the ocean choking marine life, impacting food systems and health, Shahid stressed that climate change threatens to undercut all progress and presents possible danger especially to maritime countries.

Stressing that India is one of the fasted growing large economies of the world, he said that what happens in India is going to affect every country across the world.

He added that the ocean has been an undeniable part of the country’s domestic and foreign policy, stating that Maldives recognizes the important position it occupies in the region. As such, Maldives believes it in an important link in global trade.

In addressing global challenges such as the trafficking of narcotics and people and organized crime where continuous stability in the Indian Ocean is fundamental for the security of the Maldives, FM Shahid said that a stronger, prosperous democratic and politically stable Maldives is necessary for the security of the Indian Ocean.

Touching down on the mutual dependence between the Indian Ocean and Maldives, Shahid said that President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has prioritized our relationship and engagement with the IO countries with the objective to ensure the Maldives has strong relationships with countries in the region.

Highlighting that Maldives wishes to contribute meaningfully to the protection of the order in the Indian Ocean and benefit from the security of the region, Shahid said that in order to do its part, Maldives needs to be able to foster national resilience through focusing on development at every level.

In Maldives, climate change is leading to significant beach and land erosion, coral bleaching and disruption of weather patterns, warming of the oceans as well as ocean acidification, said the minister, who added that for a country that depends heavily on fisheries and tourism for foreign currency receipts, this pose a difficult problem.

FM Shahid went on to press that “the sooner” we join together to address this “overwhelming challenge” in a meaningful way, “the sooner” we can lessen and familiarize with the rapidly occurring dangers of climate change.

As such, he said that the magnitude of these challenges require thoughtful solutions that are sustainable and workable, a convergence of opinion and close alignment of policy perspectives.