Ban calls on countries to introduce practical steps to adapt to climate change

In a speech in front of senior Mongolian Government officials in Ulaanbaatar, the capital, Mr. Ban said cutting greenhouse gas emissions and trying to mitigate climate change should only be one part of the global response to the issue.

"We must get serious about adaptation and we must do so now... Adaptation is both a practical need and a moral imperative," he said.

Mr. Ban emphasized that many of the people who are bearing the brunt of climate change are those who can least afford it or who contributed least to the problem, such as the citizens of landlocked developing countries like Mongolia, where desertification and extreme weather conditions are increasing threats.

"Expanding deserts suffocate livelihoods and a way of life. The degradation of vital pasture lands directly affects Mongolia's economy and culture. And you are not alone. You are part of the one third of the world's population - 2 billion people - who are potential victims of desertification."

Mr. Ban said any climate change deal reached at global talks in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December must include provisions where affluent nations provide assistance to vulnerable and poorer States to adapt.

"Billions in public financing will be required. There must be new money, not just re-packaged official development assistance (ODA)... We must invest in making our communities more resilient and in reducing our vulnerability to natural disasters. And we must invest in the ecosystems that sustain us", Kazinform refers to the UN News Service.

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