BHUBANESWAR: Ambassadors and diplomats from eight different countries on Thursday expressed concern over the impact of ongoing climate change and global warming in the world while calling for focused action to save the planet.
Addressing a two-day international conclave on ‘Climate Change and Global Warming - Issues and Prospects’ organised by SOA University, ambassador of Spain Juan Antonio March Pujol said global warming is not a distant threat, it stands as a huge challenge before humanity.
Italian ambassador Antonio Bartoli referred to the recent Texas floods saying nobody saw it coming. Italy has also broken the records for extreme weather events, he said.
High Commissioner of Seychelles Lalatiana Accouche and Kayshav Tewari, a diplomat with the High Commission of Guyana, said those who contributed the least to climate change were its biggest victims. Underlining that climate change is affecting the economy, IMD director general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said there is an urgent need for installing early warning systems in regions vulnerable to extreme weather conditions while sustainable development practices should be pursued at the micro level to combat climate change.
Ambassador of Uruguay Alberto Guani, ambassador of Peru Javier Paulinich, ambassador of Ecuador Fernando Bucheli and ambassador of Guatemala Omar Castaneda Solares also spoke.