"Many countries are responding to the climatic changes, but the problem cannot be solved in isolation; we need to work together," Sir David said, speaking on `Global Warming: Imperatives for Action,' at the National Institute of Advanced Studies here today.

Clear vision

Though global collaboration is involved, the challenges can be met with individual countries having a clear vision of future energy needs and the research to evolve new technology options, he said.

The U.K. government is fully committed to evolving an action plan to reduce the release of carbon dioxide, increase the use of low-CO{-2}-emitting energy sources and measures for better energy efficiency, he said.

Presenting graphics on glacial cycles of the past 800,000 years and the CO{-2} levels of the past 60,000 years, which had resulted in a large number of glaciers retreating in China and ice-sheet changes in other parts of the world, Sri David explained that between 1850 and 2000, global temperatures rose by 1 C. This had serious effects on the ice sheet and glaciers, resulting in a rise in sea levels and climatic changes. There is a need to evolve a global action plan to save the world from floods and heat waves, he said.

Priority area

"Climate change is a priority area for the G8 and EU countries, and they have published a White Paper on energy with the aim of reducing CO{-2} emissions by 60 per cent by 2050," the British scientist said.

The U.K. and the EU countries were hit by several floods and a heat wave in 2003 which killed 30,000 people and resulted in losses of $13.5 billion, he said.

To prevent such events, the U.K. Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs had published a `Future Flooding Report' last April, a forecast of possible floods, he added.