News center- The presidents of Italy, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, Malta and Portugal have released a joint statement urging measures be taken to tackle the climate crisis following recent searing heat waves, wildfires and flooding in the region.

“Extreme natural phenomena are destroying the ecosystem and threatening our daily life, our way of life. There is no more time to waste, no more time to compromise for political or economic reasons. All Mediterranean countries must coordinate and react, engage in a collective effort to halt and reverse the effects of the climate crisis,” the presidents said in the statement, adding that the Mediterranean region was particularly subjected to the risks of water shortages and desertification.

“As expected, the climate crisis has arrived and has reached explosive proportions, so much so that there is now talk of a 'state of climate emergency',” said the statement signed by Maltese President George Vella, Croatian President Zoran Milanovic, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar.

In the statement, they urged all Mediterranean countries, the European Union and the international community to react and engage in a collective effort to halt and reverse the effects of the climate crisis, and to keep this issue high on their political agenda.