The Maldives has assumed the role of the Chair of the Coalition of Atoll Nations on Climate Change (CANCC).
The Chairmanship was handed over to Minister of Climate Change, Environment, and Energy by the outgoing Chair, the Marshall Islands, at the CANCC event on the sidelines of the 28th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28). Minister Thoriq also joined the ministers of Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Tokelau and Tuvalu in a panel discussion at the CANCC event.
Speaking at the event, Minister Thoriq emphasised the critical need to implement appropriate and timely adaptation measures to support vulnerable communities across atoll nations. He highlighted the importance of atoll nations working together and sharing the best practices for reducing environmental damages and adapting to the effects of climate change. He further emphasised the need for coordinated efforts to maximise the benefits for all atoll nations.
CANCC is a coalition of low-lying atoll nations which stand together to elevate and raise to the forefront their unique vulnerabilities due to their particular geographical nature. The countries within CANCC work to attain recognition for their extreme vulnerability to climate change impacts such as sea level rise, coastal erosion and groundwater salinisation.