Uzbekistan Permanent Representative to the UN Murad Askarov said the world was on the brink of irreversible climate change, characterized by an average global temperature rise of 2Ëš C to 3Ëš C between 1900 and 2010, and by intensive melting of glaciers in the Arctic and Antarctica, particularly in mountainous areas where the main freshwater sources were located.

According to scientists, the sea route through the Arctic Ocean would be open year-round in the lifetime of the present generation. Global warming’s impact on wind flows, ocean currents and other natural phenomena had caused abnormal patterns of drought, flooding, tsunamis and cooling in certain areas.

That made it very important to understand and address the underlying causes of climate change and to develop a common approach, he said, calling on countries to achieve a just, comprehensive deal in Copenhagen. Developed countries should shoulder the bulk of the burden and lead by example, Uzbek envoy said.

Askarov said national, regional and international mechanisms must be developed to analyse and predict climate change accurately. The existing information on the current and future state of the climate was invaluable, he said. It would help climate service providers and decision-makers in key socio-economic sectors to coordinate efforts and effectively manage the risks posed by climate variability and change, while developing adaptation measures.

The world was also facing a shortage of freshwater, primarily for food production, and needed to unite and focus on the sustainable management of water resources in agriculture, he said. The Aral Sea in Uzbekistan had shrunk by more than seven times, the volume of water by 12 times, and the Karakum and Kyzyl Kum deserts had expanded. The lack of water coupled with the poor quality of both water and land throughout Central Asia had impeded agricultural production. The livelihoods of tens of millions of people in the region were at stake, and the situation should not be allowed to pass the point of no return, he said.