World leaders are in urgent need of education on climate change and how it is affecting their countries and populations, Maldives President Mr. Mohamed Nasheed said Monday.
“Not many politicians, both nationally and the local level, know for sure the extent of the effects of cclimate change and they must be educated so that they can make the right decisions,” the head of state said.
Speaking at a side event bringing together various United Nations agencies at the on going COP 15 meeting in Copenhagen, Mr. Nasheed however added the rider that for the leaders to grasp the issue at hand, the citizens needed to be educated first.
“Political leaders usually act as a result of pressure from their citizens and that is why we need to empower the citizens to put pressure on their leaders,” he said. Last October, Mr. Nasheed made history when he and his entire cabinet met under water to drive home the need for urgent actions to combat climate change.
Standing at an average of seven meters above the sea level, Maldives is at real risk of being submerged if sea levels rise as a result of climatic change. |
