Funds flow freely to wage war but scrutinized for climate adaptation: Maldives

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) – Maldives on Tuesday called for a “stronger” climate action with “more” climate financing to help small nations in their efforts to mitigate the climate change crisis, saying funds flow freely to wage war but scrutinized for climate adaptation.

“We see funds flowing freely to wage war, but scrutinized when it's for climate adaptation, we need to reprioritize, and revise the international financial system. We must choose the path that changes lives, not the climate,” Maldives’ President Mohamed Muizzu said while addressing the COP29 in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku.

He added that it is the lack of finance that inhibits the “ambitions” of small countries to protect themselves from the climate change ravages.

“The new climate finance goal must reflect the true scale of the climate crisis," he said, adding: “The need is in trillions, not billions. It must consider the special circumstances of small island developing states, it must include adaptation, mitigation and loss and damage and increase contributions to it.”

As the world approaches the next round of nationally determined contributions, he said the developed nations must close the emissions and finance gap.