Participants at the Summer Davos 2009 on Thursday called for worldwide attentions on global risks such as the A/H1N1 influenza outbreak and climate change.

Speakers at the "Managing Global Risk" plenary session of the summit said that unexpected risks such as the A/H1N1 influenza outbreak this year and the ongoing global economic downturn, along with food crisis, water and land shortage, have affected the world as a whole.

Some participants doubted whether the world had been prepared to make swift response to problems concerning health and economy. They suggested that governments should take preventive measures to mitigate the impact these risks may bring about.

Robert S. Zeigler, director-general of the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute, warned of rising sea level as a result of climate change.

"The climate change is not a one or two year issue," he said. "It has long-term impact."

Zeigler called for urgent attention on the issue.

The three-day conference, also known as the Annual Meeting of the New Champions, which started Thursday in north China's port city Dalian, gathered around 1,400 participates from 86 countries and regions to discuss ways to revive the world economic growth.

(Xinhua News Agency September 11, 2009)