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Q&A: 'We Do Not Want to See The Blame Game'
Prime Sarmiento interviews Mohamed Aslam, Maldives Environment Minister
MANILA, Aug 5 (IPS) - Developing economies are vulnerable to climate change and need funds to
implement much needed adaptation and mitigation measures. This is one of the
key points that needs to be addressed during the next round of U.N.-led
negotiations on climate change in Copenhagen, according to Mohamed Aslam,
Maldives Minister of Housing, Transport and Environment.
Government negotiators - meeting in Copenhagen Dec. 7-18 - are expected
to argue over emissions targets. Industrialised countries like the U.S. are
insisting that the fast rising Chinese and Indian economies should also
commit to cap their emissions, while the latter argue that developed
economies are the culprits behind global warming.
Mohamed was in Manila recently to attend a regional forum on climate
change. In an interview with IPS, Mohamed expressed his frustration over the
‘who-did-what’ bickering over climate change.
"Whoever did it, it doesn’t matter," Mohamed told IPS, adding that what is
crucial now is that "whoever has the funds must make them available for the
ones who need it."
The tiny and picturesque Indian Ocean nation of the Maldives is one of the
most vulnerable countries to climate change as its 1,190 individual islands
are only 1-2 metres above sea level. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) has repeatedly warned that sea level rise caused by global
warming is very likely to exacerbate storm surges and coastal erosion of
small islands.
Mohamed said that the Maldives government is doing what it can, but with
modest resources, it is impossible for them to implement costly adaptation
and mitigation measures.
IPS: What are the main issues that the Maldives panel will raise during the
Copenhagen dialogue?
Mohamed Aslam: We do not want to see the blame game. Whoever did it, it
doesn’t mater. But what matters is that whoever has the funds must make
them available for the ones who need it. We need technology. We do not
need handouts, we need partners to come out and help us.
We do not want any more studies and action plans. There has been enough of
that. It is about time we have clear vision of what to do now.
We do not want to talk about cutting down on greenhouse gases. We want the
world to invest in green technologies. We will continue to use the fans and
the air conditioning, and we are not going to stop doing that. So we must
develop an alternative way of producing power.
IPS: Are you experiencing the effects of climate change right now?
MA: What was predicted as effects of climate change - like erosion, flooding
and swirls, droughts, changes in rainfall patterns - we are seeing all that now
in Maldives. Many coastlines are eroding as well. This is not something we
saw when we were children.
As for drought, for the past few years, we [the Maldives government] has had
to supply fresh drinking water to many of our islands. We are also seeing lots
of floods. In 2005, there was a major flood and it was not caused by a storm
close to us, but by storms far off shore - Maldives is in a storm-free region.
Because Maldives’ islands are low-lying, any swirls which are above normal
will cause flooding.
IPS: How is the Maldives government preparing for climate change?
MA: The government is advocating. That’s the best that we can do. We want
to change the habits of the people. The long-term solution to this problem is
for everyone to get involved. Everyone has to realise that they have some level
of contribution to mend this.
We have money allocated for coastal protection as well as to address the
shortage of fresh water. We cannot deal with the major issues by ourselves.
We simply do not have the funds.
Adaptation is not cheap. We need almost 40 million dollars just to protect the
coastline of one island.
IPS: Do you get any financial assistance from multilateral agencies?
MA: Nothing significant. There is a lot of talk of available financing but I do
not know how many countries have received them. We have not. Maybe we do
not know how to get it. Maybe somebody needs to tell us how to do it.
IPS: How is the tourism sector - your country’s biggest industry - helping the
government in coping with climate change?
MA: We are trying to bring tour operators and resort owners into the
country’s development programme. We encourage them to help us provide
basic services and infrastructure to the people.
IPS: What is the most urgent project that you need to do now to cushion the
Maldives from the impacts of climate change?
MA: We need to implement projects on physical adaptation. We need to
prevent coastal erosion and to manage our waste.
IPS: How bad is your waste problem?
MA: Over the past few decades we have seen a lot of economic growth. Habits
have not changed. We also at times chose the path of non-sustainable
development. When people started consuming new items, the Maldivian
government did not show them methods of disposal. People who used to
throw away the fish bones into the sea, will also now throw baby diapers into
the sea.
Thirty years ago, we didn’t have toilets in our houses. Most people just went
to the bush, so we had no problem of sewage treatment or garbage disposal.
But now everyone has toilets in their houses and the government has not laid
down the network to get rid of that waste.
IPS: The Maldives government recently announced that it plans to become
the first carbon-neutral country in line with the global campaign against
climate change. Please expound on this new project.
MA: We know that us going carbon neutral will not change the global climate.
We do not emit that much carbon. But we want people in the Maldives to start
living a lifestyle which is environmentally friendly. We want to set an example
for our people and the outside the world. If we sink - and God forbid we sink
- we will sink knowing that we did the right thing.
(END/2009)
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