Guatemala City. – President Alejandro Giammattei advocated in favor of access to sources of financing to promote the design and implementation of strategies for mitigation and adaptation to climate change.
His statements were given before the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS).
“It is essential to favor access to sources of financing in favorable conditions and promote the accreditation of national, public, and private entities, before climate cooperation funds,” he pointed out.
Affected in Guatemala
The president highlighted that Guatemala is recognized globally as one of the 10 most vulnerable countries to climate change.
“I would like to refer to the sense of urgency that our hemisphere faces due to the effects of climate change and natural disasters that have repercussions in a situation of constant and permanent reconstruction and recovery,” he said.
He reported that currently, with the rainy season, during the last three weeks, two tropical storm systems affected more than 180,000 Guatemalans. This natural phenomenon destroyed homes, roads, bridges, crops, and lives were lost.
“This situation is expected to worsen, according to weather forecasts for the second half of the year,” the president stressed.
State of Calamity
President Giammattei stressed that in order to provide urgent actions to safeguard the life and integrity of Guatemalans, a state of calamity was decreed. He highlighted that the damages caused by the rains in the country were derived from storms Celia and Blas.
The presidency of Guatemala issued, on June 22, Government Decree 3-2022, which establishes a state of public calamity in eight departments of the country: Guatemala, Santa Rosa, Chiquimula, Zacapa, El Progreso, Jalapa, Jutiapa, and Sacatepéquez.
In addition, he explained that the measure was taken due to the effects of the different meteorological phenomena with presence in the national territory.
Meeting on Resilience
In this sense, the president appreciated that the OAS addresses this problem, holding the Hemispheric Meeting on Resilience to Disasters. This meeting took place in the Hall of the Americas of this high body.
“We trust that this initiative, which my country has supported from the beginning, will allow an interactive dialogue between subregional and international organizations, as well as strategic allies of the OAS,” he pointed out.
Also, the purpose is to guarantee and deepen the ways of cooperation to provide a comprehensive and effective response to the common scourge of disasters that hit the region.
