MediaGlobal News Bureau Chief Nosh Nalavala interviewed Ambassador Marlene Moses, Permanent Representative of Nauru to the United Nations on the impact of climate change on small islands.
Last month at the General Debate in the UN General Assembly you spoke of “Small Islands Developing Countries (SIDS) being battered on all sides.” What did you mean? Small Islands Developing States are on the frontline of climate change, which means droughts, extreme storms, and increasingly sea level rise are causing life-altering changes. At the same time, because of our unique vulnerabilities—isolation, high dependence on natural resources and imports – even small fluctuations in energy and food prices hit us particularly hard.
Do you attribute the constraints to SIDS due to the intermittent flow of Official Development Assistance (ODA) and a stagnation of climate finance? Yes, a lack of predictability in ODA—what is earmarked for sustainable development and what is for previous arrangements—has made it difficult for developing countries (SIDS in particular) to establish long-term plans that help us transition to a sustainable future.
What are your expectations from the post-2015 Development Agenda process, particularly in the area of adaptation for SIDS and the Climate Agenda? The post-2015 process, especially in light of other opportunities for SIDS to make progress on some of our key issues in the next few years, is crucially important if SIDS are able to adequately adapt to the worsening impacts of climate change. In fact, the impacts are so ubiquitous now, it is no exaggeration to say that development and adaptation are inextricably linked.
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