Oct. 20: India and other Saarc member countries on Tuesday made it clear that climate change negotiations at the Copenhagen summit in December should adhere to the Kyoto Protocol that imposes emission cuts on developed countries. Saarc member countries would also be submitting a joint statement at the Copenhagen summit in addition to individual statements by countries highlighting the vulnerability of the region to climate change and measures taken against its effects.
The two-day-long meeting of environment ministers of Saarc member countries concluded on Tuesday with the release of Delhi statement highlighting various environmental planning and management measures.
Environment minister Jairam Ramesh said the members countries have decided to hold annual South-Asian workshop on climate change, beginning from next year. "The Saarc speaks in one voice that we should not move away from UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol and the Bali Action Plan on climate change," Mr Ramesh said. In the run-up to the climate change talks in Copenhagen, developed nations are stepping up pressure on emerging economies like India, China and Brazil to take up legally binding greenhouse gas emission cuts, a move opposed by them.
Mr Ramesh announced that India has decided to extend $1 million grant for strengthening Saarc forestry centre in Bhutan and an additional $1 million to strengthen coastal zone in Maldives.
Mr Ramesh said India would set up 50 automatic weather stations in Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh to monitor weather patterns, especially storms, across the member-states.
Afghanistan and Pakistan would be covered in the second phase followed by the Maldives and Sri Lanka.
