Many extreme natural phenomena happens in 2007, WWF

Nusa Dua, Bali (ANTARA News) - The past year saw the occurrence of many extreme or record-breaking natural phenomena such as the thinning of ice layers at the North Pole, some of the worst forest fires and floods on earth, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

"Concrete measures related with climate change need to be taken to deal with these phenomena," WWF`s international`s Program Director for Climate Change Han Verolme said here Monday.

Speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Bali, Verolme said keeping the increase in the global temperature under two degrees Celsius was the key to avoiding the recurrence of such extreme phenomena.

Heavy rainfall which hit Jakarta last February, for instance, triggered one of the worst-ever floods in the history of Indonesia`s capital city.

The floods left at least 400,000 Jakartans homeless, brought about post-flood diseases and inflicted economic losses of US$450 million.

Meanwhile, WWF Indonesia`s Climate and Energy Program Director Fitrian Ardyansyah said Indonesia was now already being affected by the impact of global warming.

Thus, the government should encourage the UNFCCC in Bali to reach an agreement in favor of the earth in the future, Fitrian said.

Fitrian also said droughts would continue in 2007 in several parts of the world like the Amazon, Australia, Africa and a number of areas in China.

Long droughts had also triggered the worst-ever fires in East Europe and South Europe as well as in the western part of the United States.

Meanwhile, director of the WWF Europe`s Climate Change Program Dr Stephan Siner and Executive Director of Greenpeace Southeast Asia Emmy Hafild hoped rich countries would show their serious efforts to stop global warming through their commitment to reducing gas emissions by at least 30 percent in 2020.