Victoria: Climate change poses serious threat to island nations like Seychelles as terrorism to the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said as he expressed India's deep commitment to combat global warming.
“The world must come together and talk about climate change as we discuss terror,” Modi said during a civic reception accorded to him at the Palais des Sports here.
He said people living in small islands do not care about who is making nuclear bomb, but they do bother about the global warming as it is linked with their survival.
“Today, small small countries which are based on island, they don't think about who is making nuclear bomb but they think about the global warming because if it continues, they apprehend whether they would be alive or not. Whether their island would submerge in water.
“To save the world, not only those who live on island but the entire world will have to discuss and work in this regard. The world have to discuss climate change on the same level as they do discuss terrorism. It poses a serious threat as terrorism,” Modi said.
Earlier, the Prime Minister said India was deeply committed to combat the climate change.
“We had strong convergence of views on climate change. We are two nations that are vulnerable to its impact,” he said after holding talks with Seychelles President James Alix Michel.
Modi, the first Prime Minister to visit Seychelles in 34 years, stressed on India's shared commitment to strong national action to combat climate change.
He also called for a strong and ambitious global effort, especially from the developed world, on climate change.
“I reiterated our consistent support to the position of the Small Island Developing States. Equally, I renewed India's strong commitment to our partnership with Africa,” he added.
Last year in December, negotiators from over 190 countries adopted a compromise draft for national pledges to cut global carbon emissions at marathon UN climate talks in Peruvian capital Lima that paved way for a new ambitious and binding deal to be signed in Paris this year to combat climate change.
