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The devastating cyclone in the French Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte highlights the need for increased global efforts to adapt to the consequences of climate change, Brazil said on Monday, offering condolences to the storm victims.

Brazil, which held the rotating G20 presidency this year, will host the next UN climate conference, COP30, in November 2025 in the Amazon city of Belem.

“At this sad time, Brazil calls on partner countries to redouble their efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change in response to the increase in extreme natural events,” the State Department said in a statement.

It expressed its condolences to the victims of Cyclone Chido, which hit Mayotte on Saturday. Authorities fear several hundred people have been killed by the cyclone – the worst to hit Mayotte in 90 years.

France is struggling to carry out investigation and rescue operations in the archipelago, which is home to at least 320,000 residents, an estimated third of whom live in run-down slums.

“The Brazilian government learned with regret of the devastation caused by Cyclone Chido,” the Foreign Ministry statement said.

“Brazil expresses its condolences to the families of the victims and expresses its solidarity with the people of Mayotte and the government of France.”

Brazil is at the forefront of countries calling for more to be done at the international level to achieve ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets.

The government has made progress since the return of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva last year to curb deforestation in the vast Amazon region, often called the “lungs of the planet” because of its role in absorbing carbon dioxide.

In November, Brazil announced plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions more than originally planned and is pushing for stronger international steps to phase out fossil fuels.

At the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan, it was part of a group pushing for wealthier countries to invest more in financing to help developing countries cope with climate change.

bur/rmb/des