Thaindian News

New Delhi, Feb 1 (IANS) Small island-states which are facing the biggest challenge from global warming will be at the focus of Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) beginning Thursday. The DSDS is the first major global meeting after the Cancun climate summit in December 2010 and will see participation of several world leaders. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will naugurate it.

The theme of the three-day meet, being organised by The Energy Research Institute (TERI), is ‘Tapping Local Initiatives and Tackling Global Inertia’.

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Seychelles President James Alix Michel and Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez will be the main speakers at the summit.

The most vulnerable nations include the small island states of the Pacific, the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean, which are threatened by rising seas, stronger hurricanes and fresh water shortages.

The Alliance of Small Island States (Aosis) - a bloc of 43 countries - created a stir at the Cancun talks last year by demanding a legally binding treaty to check carbon emission.

DSDS 2011 will focus on the formulation and delineation of strategies to move the sustainable development agenda forward.

“This annual summit that has been happening since 2001 provides knowledge as well as stimulates debate on various aspects of sustainable development. It has emerged as the only forum on global sustainability issues, with an accentuated thrust on problems relating to the developing world,” said a TERI organiser.

Some of the major themes that will be debated include policy challenges for sustainable growth, creating a sustainable energy future, integrating civil society in the development process, vulnerability and resilience in the context of climate change and business practices accelerating local progress.

“DSDS 2011 will serve as a platform to appreciate debate and identify key learning from local successes needed to move the world as a whole in the right direction. It will enable creating a uniform level of understanding among all stakeholders and provide an opportunity for constructive dialogue on climate change to arrive at an agreement to formulate meaningful policy options,” he said.

The DSDS series has enjoyed global support from over 60 countries, attracting participation from heads of government and ministers, and a host of other dignitaries comprising Nobel laureates, development practitioners, scientists, academics, and corporate leaders.