Officials and experts stress the importance of anticipating climate shocks
A "high-level" invitation... for the future of mankind
Reem Al Hashemi: "The UAE strongly believes in the importance of partnership and multilateral cooperation, and that is why we are here together at Expo 2020 Dubai."
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Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director-General of Expo 2020 Dubai, Reem Al Hashemi, affirmed that the UAE strongly believes in the importance of partnership and multilateral cooperation, "and for this reason we are here together at (Expo 2020 Dubai)."
Al-Hashemi added, during a high-level meeting that highlighted the importance of anticipating climate shocks and investing in humanitarian action early: “We have witnessed the waste that can occur in lives and livelihoods, when we choose to wait or not take any step, or when we fail to prevent what we see.” Coming to us clearly, the victims of climate change are already among us, and our duty is to ensure that human dignity is restored and preserved, despite the inhumane conditions, and that those who fall are the last victims.”
The meeting - which was held under the title “Transition from response to the climate crisis to risk management - space technologies for proactive humanitarian action”, at the Swedish pavilion at “Expo 2020 Dubai” - was organized by the Swedish Embassy, in cooperation with the European Union, the World Food Program and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
For his part, the Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation, Per Olsson Friede, said: “Polarization is increasing in the world, and national interests dominate politics in all parts of it, and after the (Corona) epidemic, I think that our presence at (Expo 2020 Dubai) is evidence that we are together, and an opportunity So that we can actually meet and meet, and start listening to each other again.”
He added: "The meeting brought together representatives of governments, international organizations, policy makers, humanitarian experts, and technical specialists from around the world to promote awareness of proactive humanitarian action and to promote innovative space-based technologies that specialize in Earth observation to systematically predict climate shocks."
The attendees called on all participants, from the public and private sectors, to work together hand in hand to put proactive action at the heart of humanitarian policies and strategies.
The meeting came after mounting evidence that climate-induced crises are occurring more frequently than ever, with weather-related disasters occurring nearly five times more than they did 40 years ago, and the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance around the world reaching 238 million. in the year 2020.
Bear Olson Friede:
• “(Expo 2020 Dubai) is proof that we are together, and an opportunity for us to actually meet and meet, and to start listening to each other again.”
Response before the crisis
Meeting participants saw emergencies multiply, and needs growing much faster than humanitarian funding can provide, but at the same time the world can better predict the occurrence and potential impact of climate shocks using risk evidence.
Humanitarian actors can now respond before a crisis occurs, a proactive approach that can save lives and effectively preserve hard-won development gains.