THERE is a need to look at the international system to address climate change, says an expert.
Uttam Kumar Sinha, a climate change expert at India's Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis in Delhi, said climate change was a very important issue for small island countries.
"We are at a critical stage of climate change negotiations. An international meeting will be held in Paris in 2015 to discuss climate change," he told foreign journalists in Delhi a week ago.
"Small island countries need to come with countries like India and China on climate change.
"All elements of climate change need to be collated collaboratively," said Mr Sinha.
India's Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar said small island countries always had a threat lurking.
Mr Javadekar said the question that always arose was "what will happen with the rising sea level?"
He said island countries with the real civilisation, ethos and habits could sink.
"We are doing the best of practices but we are getting the side effects of other countries," said Mr Javadekar.
Dr Vikrom Mathur, the director of Centre for Science in Society, said more dialogue was needed between small island countries and bigger nations on development and climate change.