ASEAN leaders alarmed by climate change

28-Apr-15

School of Vice: Alarmed? Have you all not been at the root cause of adverse climatic change with all those ecologically destructive policies and practices such as building hydro-electricity dams within regions marked for "conservation" and wholesale deforestation? Or is it just pure coincidence that world climatic change goes in tandem with these activities?

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PHNOM PENH (The Cambodia Herald) -- ASEAN leaders expressed "great concern" about climate change as they adopted a declaration on both climate change and disasters at their summit in Malaysia.

The alarm was expressed in a statement issued by Malaysia Tuesday in its capacity as current chair of ASEAN and host of this week's summit in Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi.

"We noted with great concern that climate change is already having significant impact in the region, causing severe social and economic disruptions and damage throughout the region," the statement said.

"We affirmed our commitment to address climate change at the national, regional and global levels," it added.

Referring to a UN climate change conference in Paris later this year, ASEAN leaders also called for a "comprehensive 2015 agreement, based on science and the principles of equity, and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, as well as the promotion of sustainable development for all in line with the UN Post-2015 Development Agenda."

On Monday evening in Langkawi, the ASEAN leaders adopted a declaration aimed at "institutionalising the resilience" to disasters and climate change of the communities and peoples of Southeast Asia.

In the declaration, ASEAN leaders recognised that "exposure of ASEAN's peoples and communities to various natural hazards is rapidly rising (and that) vulnerability to extreme weather events and climate change is spiralling."

This "new normal" leads to more  frequent and severe disasters, "exacting a tremendous toll on economic, social, cultural, physical, and environmental capital of countries and communities, which in turn stifles our region's sustainable development including our efforts towards poverty eradication," the declaration said. - See more at: http://www.thecambodiaherald.com/world/asean-leaders-alarmed-by-climate-change-12839#sthash.McuBSKpi.dpuf