PORT LOUIS, Mauritius, Jan. 7 (Xinhuanet) -- Leaders of the world's more than 40 island nations will converge on Mauritius next week to seek help coping with natural disasters, such as the Asian tsunamis that have left at least 155,000 dead.

    A UN conference on broader aspects of small islands and development, which is to open on Monday, would scarcely have made headlines a month ago, but the huge tidal waves unleashed by the Asian undersea earthquake on Dec. 26, 2004, have highlighted the vulnerability of the world's smallest countries.

    In fact, the conference is now seen as even more imperative as millions attempt to recover from a disaster that international experts agree could have been mitigated with better warning systems.

    Mauritius, the UN said, was "relatively spared" by the December26 waves.

    The conference will address as a matter of priority the need for better preparedness in small islands against natural disasterssuch as tsunamis and cyclones, said a UN statement.

    "Destruction of life and property to the low-lying coastal areas, once again highlights the vulnerability of the small islanddeveloping states (SIDS)," said Anwarul K. Chowdhury, UN Under Secretary-General and the Secretary-General of the UN International Meeting on SIDS, extending sympathies to the people and governments of the tsunami-affected countries.

    "This wave of destruction comes on the heels of a number of recent climatic disasters where the impact of sudden climate change has never before been more evident than the recent devastating widespread hurricanes and tropical storms affecting small island developing states, most vulnerable to global climate change," he added.

    The Mauritius conference will convene about 40 island nations to discuss challenges from natural disasters, climate change, trade losses and market access, and threats from HIV/AIDS, and howto present these issues to the international community in the search for help.

    Chowdhury said: "I am sure the issue of some kind of global early warning system will be proposed by many states and I am one of the people who believe such an early warning system should be set up immediately."

    Over 2,000 participants are expected in Mauritius for the January 10-14 talks, including 25 heads of states and governments,said the UN.

    They will review the implementation of the Program of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States,which was agreed a decade ago in Barbados.

    In addition to the official conference, several parallel eventswill be held in Mauritius, including a Civil Society Forum, a youth forum called Youth Visioning for Island Living, and Community Vilaj, a large event aimed at promoting exchanges among small islands, including an Island Market to showcase the diversity of the island's products.

    In the wake of the tsunami emergency in southeast Asia, disastermanagement experts in the Indian Ocean region have stepped up calls for the development of an early-warning system, especially for small island nations.

    Philippe Boulle, UN Development Program advisor in Mauritius, said on Friday: "It is absolutely critical that such an operative system be put in place as soon as possible to avoid the catastrophe underway in the Asian region. Nobody can afford a repeat of what has recently happened."

    Boulle said one of the concerns raised was the cost of establishing an Indian Ocean alert system, but added that given the calamity that befell Asia in December, which killed more than 150,000 people, the international community had "no option."

    He said: "It is not necessary to put in place the most expensive or most elaborate early-warning system, especially sincethere are such systems ... already, and this kind of technology needs to be transferred to poor island nations."

    It was equally important to ensure that the island states were equipped to manage natural disasters, "rather than waiting for things to happen."

    The Mauritius summit is also expected to tackle a number of wide-ranging concerns. According to the United Nations EnvironmentProgram (UNEP), freshwater shortages and global warming are among the top issues threatening the long-term stability of the Indian Ocean Islands. Enditem