"SAARC coming together like this is of course good in terms of sharing of climate knowledge, " says Saleemul Haq, a climate expert with the International Institute for Environment and Development.

BBC: South Asian bloc active at climate meeting

"The key message to rich countries is that what seems like them to be a domestic political difficulty is for the vulnerable nations an existential problem, " said Saleemul Huq, senior fellow in climate change at the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), which gave technical support to the Maldives meeting.

BBC: Poor nations vow low-carbon path

Over ten UN organizations, including UNESCO-IOC, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), are participating in the UN Pavilion to raise awareness of international efforts to promote the preservation of marine environment and sustainable development of oceans and coasts.

UNESCO: CULTURE

Bahr Loubnan, a Lebanese NGO for the protection of the sea, is currently working with the French Ministry for National Development and Environment and a number of international organizations to clear the 150 kilometers of coastline that were affected by the oil spills.

CNN: Lebanon counts the cost of conflict

An international day to celebrate freshwater was recommended at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED).

UNESCO: World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP)

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges.

UNESCO: World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP)