When asked about the biggest current threat and challenge for Maldives and other SIDS, Ambassador Sareer names climate change, sea level rise and beach erosion. Relating to everyday experiences by Maldivian people, he said that there is a clear increase in the frequency and magnitude of flooding and draught. The Ambassador also noted that freshwater is becoming increasingly scarce and that the process of providing potable water to a third of the country’s islands during the dry season through transport by boat was using up a lot of the government’s financial resources.
Turning the debate to Oceans, Ambassador Sareer highlighted that Maldives, together with other SIDS has worked consistently to include this vital topic in the Sustainable Development Agenda, first in Rio+20 and then in the Preparatory Meetings leading up to the 2014 SIDS Conference in Samoa. He reiterated his delegation’s call for a stand-alone Sustainable Development Goal on Oceans as absolutely critical for Maldives.
When asked about domestic measures taken in Maldives on Sustainable Development of Oceans, the Ambassador talked about Maldives' extraordinary pledge to make the whole country a UNESCO biosphere reserve by 2017. He further added Maldives' traditional fishing practices, pole and line fishing, was traditionally recognized as sustainable as well as recent legislation to ban shark fishing and finning as clear signs of a domestic commitment to Ocean conservation.
