Cyclone Pam: Vanuatu's president blames climate change for extreme weather

The president of Vanuatu says climate change is contributing to more extreme weather conditions and cyclone seasons, after cyclone Pam ripped through the island nation. The damage from the category five storm to the island nation has been extensive, and is still being assessed as aid workers scrambled to get to affected areas on Monday morning.  Vanuatu’s president, Baldwin Lonsdale, spoke at a United Nations world conference in Sendai, Japan, on Monday, and said the storm was a major setback for the people, virtually wiping out Vanuatu’s development. “This is a very devastating cyclone … I term it a monster that has hit Vanuatu,” he said. “It is a setback for the government and for the people of Vanuatu … All the development that has taken place has been wiped out.” He said the cyclone seasons that the nation had experienced were directly linked to climate change.

The president of Kiribati, Anote Tong, who was also at the conference, extended his condolences to Lonsdale and also urged action on climate change. “It is time to act … Let us match the rhetoric of these international gatherings with pledges and commitments as leaders to do our best to improve conditions and lives of those who need it most,” he said. “For leaders of low-lying island atolls, the hazards of global warming affect our people in different ways, and it is a catastrophe that impinges on our rights … and our survival into the future.”  Several countries have also pledged additional aid and funding for the stricken island nation. The Australian foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, pledged $5m in support, and New Zealand has offered $2.5m.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/16/vanuatus-president-blames-…