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Fiji makes top 10 for most affected by climate crisis

December 6, 2019 7:30 am

Multiple deaths and loss to the economy of over $170 million saw Fiji among the top 10 nations that were impacted the most by climate crisis in 2018.

Climate advocacy group Germanwatch released its latest report at COP 25 in Spain, saying this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Nilesh Prakash, Fiji’s Head of Climate Change and International Cooperation says this is concerning.

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“It’s quite alarming to see that Fiji has made it to the top 10 and one of the top 10 countries which have suffered in terms of climate-induced disasters in 2018. We know that from February to April of 2018, we had back to back disasters. We had Cyclone Gita and then we had Keni and Josie, which were back to back events. Particularly with Keni and Josie, we lost eight of our people in those disasters.”

Experts are now waving the red flag to bigger nations to start taking notice and be ready to work together with small countries in fighting climate change.

Prakash says Fiji being in top 10 raises major concerns but joining them in this not desired list are the likes of Japan and Germany, which shows the climate change is surely gripping the world.

“They need to step up and they need to bolster climate action so that we don’t suffer.”

Between 1999 and 2018, about 495 000 people died worldwide and losses of US$ 3.54 trillion were incurred as a direct result of more than 12 000 extreme weather events.

The Pacific is the first region to move towards combining regional, national and sub-national efforts to reduce disaster and climate-related risks by working with UNDRR.