IRCS rep. at Doha climate meeting: We have no choice but to adapt
Governments play critical role in preventing global warming, according to Iran’s representative at climate conference.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) representative, Koosha Golkaar, called for increased global commitment to climate change mitigation during the International Summit of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies of the Middle East and North Africa region.
Golkaar, who serves as the representative for International Affairs and Humanitarian Affairs of the IRCS, underscored the necessity of preparing for the worst-case scenario in disaster response operations. He emphasized that the scale, intensity, scope, dispersion, simultaneity, and unpredictability of climate change-induced disasters often exceed national capacities, making public education and risk adaptation crucial, Mehr News reported.
“We hope that the impact of international meetings and the adherence of governments to their commitments can reduce the speed of global warming,” Golkaar said. “But we in the national organizations must prepare to face it with the participation of the people themselves, and along with the hope and efforts to prevent and reduce the effects, seek to adapt to upcoming accidents.”
Golkaar also highlighted the IRCS’s efforts in climate change mitigation. The organization’s volunteer arm provides aid to victims of climate-related disasters such as droughts and unseasonal floods. Meanwhile, the Relief and Rescue Organization is bolstering its disaster response operations, and the Red Crescent Youth Organization is encouraging young people’s participation in environmental preservation through a system called Shetab (Acceleration).
The Iranian representative also underscored the importance of online platforms in public education on risk management. “In the online education system of the Iranian Red Crescent, we published several training courses on adapting to climate change, which were well received by the people,” Golkaar said.
The international meeting on reducing the risks of accidents caused by climate change was held in Doha, Qatar, last week. It brought together representatives from Red Cross and Red Crescent societies across the Middle East and North Africa. Golkaar’s participation was facilitated by the General Department of Ceremonies and International Communications of the Red Crescent Society.