As part of his visit to Sweden, President Nasheed of the Maldive Islands visited SEI’s headquarters in Stockholm. Welcomed by the institute’s Executive Director, Johan Rockström, the President was given a demonstration of weADAPT, a collaborative web-based platform for climate adaptation which draws together a wide range of partners, including Google Earth, to share experience to create a community and knowledge base for adaptation.
Using Google Earth, SEI Oxford researcher Tahia Devisscher gave the President a continent-to-continent tour of projects in Asia and Africa where SEI and partners have linked up with local stakeholders.
Action needed despite times of financial difficulty
The President, who has compared the struggle for democracy in the Maldives with the global struggle against climate change, praised the work done by SEI and highlighted the importance of climate change adaptation.
The Maldives holds the record for being the lowest country in the world with an average height of only 1,5 meters above sea level. If climate change continues at its current rate the Maldives will be submerged within 100 years. He stressed the importance of taking action despite the world’s economic crisis.
- Taking action to combat these threats is vital, and the Maldives aims to become the first carbon neutral country within the next 10 years. It will be difficult and costly, but not as costly as the price of inaction, President Nasheed said.
Mentioning the COP15 conference in Copenhagen in December 2009, President Nasheed said that the focus during the post-Kyoto negotiations should not be on what countries should not do, but on what they should do, as well as the need for developed countries to aid developing countries in their climate change adaptations.
President Nasheed was also introduced to SEI Africa centre director Anders Arvidsson, and to the Climate and Energy, and Ecosan research teams.
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