Vice President Faisal Naseem has stated that climate change is no longer a nuanced and convoluted problem of the smaller and developing states. He made the remark while addressing the opening ceremony of the Indo-Pacific Environmental Security Forum (IPESF) held in Kurumba Maldives.
Speaking at the ceremony, Vice President Naseem emphasised the urgency of the climate crisis by stating that global weather patterns were changing, which resulted in catastrophic impacts. He particularly noted the heatwave in the United Kingdom (UK) and the wildfires in the United States (US), adding the predictable weather patterns of the Maldives were also becoming more severe.
Speaking on the importance of holding such a conference, Vice President Naseem highlighted that defence forces were called to respond to disasters and emergencies and said that the intersection of climate and defence requires critical attention. He expressed hope that the sharing of knowledge and expertise at the forum would result in innovative and sustainable solutions.
The US government and the US Indo-Pacific Command partnered with the Maldives to host (IPESF) in the Maldives. It is the first time the conference is being held in person since the COVID-19 pandemic. The forum will be held from August 1-4 and will be attended by 100 representatives from 21 countries. The forum was last held in the Maldives in 2014.