UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday appointed former Secretary of State for International Development, Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP, as the UK’s International Champion on Adaptation and Resilience for the COP26 Presidency.

Trevelyan will drive global ambition and action to support countries like Sri Lanka on the frontline of climate change to adapt to its impacts and to build resilience. 

Trevelyan will engage the governments of the countries most affected by climate change and drive support from the international community and the private sector.

In a statement to the media, The British High Commission in Colombo said that the UK recognises Sri Lanka’s rich biodiversity, but also its vulnerability to the adverse effects of climate change such as temperature rise, rainfall variability and sea level rise. 

“It acknowledges the wider challenges of preparing and responding to related impacts such as floods, drought and wildfires and the emerging effects of rising sea levels and desertification,” the High Commission said.

The World Bank (WB) predicts that without action, climate change could push more than 100 million people in developing countries below the poverty line by 2030.

The impacts can be reduced with the necessary support so that countries and communities can adapt and build resilience to the changes.