President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has reiterated the call of the Maldives for access to climate finances. He made the call during a meeting with the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Patricia Espinosa, held at the President’s Office on May 17.
At the meeting, Executive Secretary Espinosa said that the Maldives plays an essential role in climate adaptation discussions as the country has the credibility and the authority to take the issue forward on the global front. She also expressed gratitude to the president for the Maldives' strong presence at the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) last year in Glasgow, Scotland, and emphasised the importance of island nations being at the forefront of the climate movement.
Speaking at the meeting, President Solih stated the biggest priority for the Maldives in the area of adaptation was access to finance. He noted that proper coastal protection would cost more than four times the annual national budget.
The president was accompanied at the meeting by the Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Technology Aminath Shauna, the Special Envoy for Climate Change Sabra Noordeen and the Minister of State for Environment, Climate Change and Technology Khadeeja Naseem.
The Executive Secretary of UNFCCC is currently in the Maldives to participate in the ongoing Glasgow—Sharm el-Sheikh work programme on the Global Goal on Adaptation, held at the CROSSROADS Maldives.