At the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2026, an annual global platform bringing together world leaders, policymakers, financiers, and innovators to advance climate action and sustainable development, calls were renewed for stronger global cooperation to address interconnected climate challenges.

Held under the theme “The Nexus of Next: All Systems Go”, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2026 focuses on driving collaboration across interconnected systems such as energy, finance, food, water, and nature to accelerate sustainable transformation and action.

Against this backdrop, the Guest Speaker, President of the Republic of Seychelles, Dr. Patrick Herminie, amplified his call for urgent global action to safeguard water and ocean systems, warning that intensifying climate impacts are driving mounting loss and damage for Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Speaking at the Blue Forum, held on the margins of ADSW, President Herminie said SIDS across the Indian Ocean, Pacific, and Caribbean are on the frontline of climate change, facing rising sea levels, ocean warming, coastal erosion, prolonged droughts, and increasingly destructive storms, despite contributing minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions.

The President emphasised that freshwater, coastal, and ocean systems form the backbone of island economies, underpinning food security, fisheries, tourism, energy production, and trade.

He warned that decades of fragmented global governance, where land, water, and ocean systems are planned and financed in isolation, have left SIDS disproportionately exposed to climate shocks and economic disruption.

“As climate impacts intensify, resilience cannot be built in silos,” President Herminie said, calling for integrated, systems-based “source-to-sea” management that recognises the interdependence of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine environments.

He added that such approaches are crucial for mitigating climate-related losses and preventing irreversible damage in vulnerable island states.

Drawing on Seychelles’ experience, the President highlighted how SIDS can serve as testing grounds for innovative climate solutions, and the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week needs to take the next big step in action.

He pointed to Seychelles’ designation of over 30 per cent of its ocean territory as marine protected areas, surpassing global biodiversity targets, alongside progress in marine spatial planning, sustainable fisheries management, and coastal protection initiatives.

In addition, the President cited Seychelles’ recent severe drought as a stark illustration of compound climate risks, where water scarcity, ecosystem degradation, and ocean stress converge to produce economic and social losses.

He noted that similar patterns are emerging across SIDS globally, intensifying calls for accessible, predictable, and adequately financed mechanisms to address loss and damage.

President Herminie emphasised that while adaptation remains essential, it is no longer sufficient on its own. He stressed the importance of climate finance, noting that SIDS require scaled-up, grant-based funding and timely disbursement through international mechanisms, including the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, to address unavoidable climate impacts.

Coming out clearly was the importance of international partnerships, citing cooperation with India, China, and the United Arab Emirates. He noted that the UAE’s support for desalination infrastructure has enhanced Seychelles’ water security and reduced climate-related losses during periods of extreme drought.

Concluding his address, President Herminie reaffirmed Seychelles’ commitment to working with fellow SIDS and global partners to share lessons learned, advocate for predictable loss and damage finance, and push for global policy alignment that reflects the lived realities of vulnerable island nations.

President Herminie is attending Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2026 alongside the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, Mr. Barry Faure; the Minister for Environment, Climate Change, Energy and Natural Resources, Ms. Marie-May Jeremie; the Minister for Investment and Industries, Ms. Geralda Desaubin; and the Ambassador of the Republic of Seychelles to the United Arab Emirates, Mr. Gervais Moumou.