WGS 2023: All countries, developed or emerging, must tackle climate change, says Mauritius President
Roopun stresses the importance of working with technology to achieve sustainability goals
Dubai: Natural disasters caused by climate change are becoming far too common, Mauritius President Prithvirajsing Roopun said at the World Government Summit in Dubai.
Following the tragedy that struck Turkey and Syria last week, Roopun has urged world leaders and governments to initiate climate action.
“Natural disasters are, unfortunately, becoming a real tragedy and are becoming far too common. And this is due to climate change. Rise in temperature, extreme weather conditions, torrid heatwaves, and severe droughts are just a few,” said the President.
“Climate change is a reality that all governments, whether developed or emerging, will have to face now and in the future. We are faced with a ticking time bomb that nobody can ignore. It is an existential threat for millions in all regions worldwide.”
During his keynote speech, the island nation’s leader also stressed the importance of working with technology to achieve sustainability goals. He also noted that the role of technology was accelerated during the pandemic.
“The emergence of ChatGPT and AI is now becoming very topical, but it is also a cocktail. With previous technological developments compounded with AI, the whole landscape will be transformed,” stated Roopun.
He told delegates that world leaders should also accept that cyberspace will inevitably be present in more areas of daily life. “On one side, learn to draw maximum benefits of technologies and avoid all pitfalls. It is my earnest wish that we all get engaged in profound reflection. Let us all work together by charting necessary regulatory frameworks and checks and balances,” the President added.
“We are now in a virtual and physical world interacting constantly. This is a new reality, but we should be able to understand and make a serious transition and cohabitate in these two worlds together,” he said.
Roopun also said he was impressed by the incredible achievements of the whole region, especially UAE, in such a short span of time.