“Representatives from the Federated States of Micronesia have come to COP29 with an important mission: to ensure their voices are heard in the fight against climate change.”
Micronesia Undersecretary of State for Climate Change Lucille Apis Overhoff Read.Azhe declared in his statement.
He spoke of the problems facing his country and said that they came to COP29 to determine their own path, to be able to take their “canoe” to the right destination. Overhoff noted that representatives from many countries with different priorities are participating in the event, making it difficult to reach a consensus.
“We must learn to work together and respect each other for the benefit of all,” he stressed.
Overhoff highlighted that one of Micronesia’s main hopes is the adoption of a new collective quantitative goal that will help combat the consequences of climate change. He cited the example of the small islands of Micronesia, where people are forced to drink carbonated drinks instead of water due to the mixing of salt water with drinking water, leading to an increase in diabetes and limb amputations. .
Additionally, intense heat and rising temperatures negatively impact the productivity of agricultural products, and rising ocean levels pose a threat to islanders’ homes. Micronesia is struggling with these issues due to lack of funding.
“We’re hoping to get grants instead of loans. It’s hard for us to get a loan and pay it back because we don’t have a lot of resources. So we’re hoping for grants that we don’t have to pay back,” Overhoff added.
Rufina Abdullayeva
