Steps against droughts, floods under discussion in Geneva

GENEVA: As nations negotiate tough decisions on cutting greenhouse gases, the United Nations is holding a separate conference on coping with more floods, droughts and other effects of climate change already assured.The World Climate Conference – which avoids the political pitfall of discussing cuts to carbon emissions – aims to make sure poor countries have the same access to climate data as rich ones, and that the information is shared among scientists and governments worldwide.A large US delegation is attending, eager to impress with the new Obama administration’s commitment to combating climate change.‘Climate change is real,’ said delegation leader Jane Lubchenco, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. ‘It is happening now, in our backyards and around the globe.’Delegates to the five-day conference starting on Monday in Geneva hope to set up a Global Framework for Climate Services to ensure that early warnings for tsunamis and hurricanes reach everybody and that farmers in remote African regions know about upcoming droughts and floods.Ms Lubchenco said decision-makers would require reliable information about the current and projected impacts of climate change.Many countries, however, lack information about even their own climates.‘Hydrological networks in Africa are totally insufficient,’ said meeting host Michel Jarraud, head of the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation. ‘Many water basins are managed without any information about precipitation and run-off amount of water in the underground water table.’The World Climate Conference brings together about 15 heads of state, including those from Cameroon, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Slovenia, Switzerland, Tajikistan and Togo, as well as 80 ministers from various governments. — AP