Mayotte disaster highlights need to “adapt” to climate change: Brazil

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The devastating cyclone in the French Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte highlights the need for increased global efforts to adapt to the consequences of climate change, Brazil said on Monday, offering condolences to the storm victims.

Brazil, which held the rotating G20 presidency this year, will host the next UN climate conference, COP30, in the Amazon city of Belem in November 2025.

“In this sad time, Brazil calls on partner countries to redouble their efforts to adapt to the effects of climate change in response to the diversity of extreme natural events,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

It expressed condolences to those affected by Cyclone Chido, which lashed Mayotte on Saturday. Authorities fear hundreds were killed by the cyclone – the worst to hit Mayotte in 90 years.

France is struggling to launch assessment and rescue operations in the archipelago, which is home to at least 320,000 residents, an estimated third of whom live in flimsy shantytowns.

“The Brazilian government has learned with regret of the devastation caused by Cyclone Chido,” the foreign ministry statement said.

“By expressing condolences to the families of the victims, Brazil expresses its solidarity with the people of Mayotte and the government of France.”

Brazil is at the forefront of countries calling for more international action to meet ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gases.

The government has made progress since President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva returned to power last year to curb deforestation of the vast Amazon, often called the “lungs of the planet” for its role in absorbing carbon dioxide.

In November, Brazil announced plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions more than originally expected and is pushing for stronger international action to phase out fossil fuels.

At the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan, it was among a group pushing for richer countries to dig deeper into funding to help developing countries cope with climate change.

bur/rmb/dec