My letter to the
Straits Times on the above subject is published today, Monday 1st
June 2015.
It appears that climate
change is coming at a much faster pace than was anticipated - with India and
the Philippines experiencing heatwaves and dry spells that resulted in deaths
and the loss of crops ("More than 1,000 dead in Indian heatwave" and
"Philippine dam hits critical level"; last Thursday).
In other parts of the
world, such as in Texas and Oklahoma, it is the opposite trend: Flooding
brought on by rain has seen 17 people killed ("Rain in Texas, Oklahoma
kill 17"; last Thursday).
With harvests and the
rationing of water likely to come on stream, I fear life is going to get
tougher for both the Filipinos and the Indians.
With these dramatic
changes, countries with expertise in climate change, water conservation and
storage can do their part to help people cope.
Communication is vital in
today's globalised world, and foreign domestic workers who work outside their
countries must be able to stay connected with their families back home via
social media and the Internet. But these services often break down when natural
disasters take place.
Singapore has thousands of
these foreign workers, who provide much-needed support to families and the
healthcare industry here.
Singapore and richer
nations can do their part by providing knowledge and expertise in water
conservation and storage, as well as helping the affected countries improve
their infrastructure, which includes Internet connections.
During regular dialogues
with world leaders, and at economic conferences and world summits, Singapore
leaders can try to persuade rich nations to rally around countries facing
challenges and provide them with resources and expertise.
Raymond Anthony Fernando
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