President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated the unchecked rise in global temperature is threatening the future of the Maldives. He made the remarks while delivering the national statement at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) World Leaders Summit.
Speaking to world leaders and dignitaries at the summit, President Solih said the Maldives would cease to exist in a world where the rise in temperature remains unchecked at 1.5 and jumps to 2 degrees. The president said the fate of the Maldives would remain a dark omen of the grim and similar future that awaits the rest of the world.
He revealed the current grim lived realities of Maldivians due to climate change and asked world leaders what it would take for them to listen to the Maldives regarding the harsh realities of climate change. He cited several trips that he made to different islands of the Maldives over the past month and said Maldivian islands are slowly being inundated by the sea.
Furthermore, President Solih said all islands he visited have reported severe erosion, which is one of the numerous dire consequences influencing the daily lives of Maldivians already. The president said the Maldives is determined to be a part of global solutions to reverse current trends, and reminded world leaders the climate emergency cannot be solved by the actions of individual nations alone. In this regard, he called on major emitters to step up their efforts to make more ambitious climate commitments and to uphold obligations such as the climate financing pledges made at Paris.
Additionally, President Solih remarked on concerning trends in global warming and the rate of sea-level rise and called on wealthy nations to help vulnerable nations in capacity building, technology transfers, and sourcing finance.