Washington, Ramadan 19, 1435, Jul 16, 2014, SPA -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday urged local communities to prepare for the effects of climate change that threaten public safety, including harsher storms, flooding, and rising sea levels. Obama met with top federal and local officials as well as tribal leaders at the White House in the fourth and final meeting of his 26-person task force, which advises the administration on reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and climate-related events. Obama said that climate change is happening and lawmakers should not treat it as a partisan issue, since some communities have already experienced negative effects. "Climate change poses a direct threat to the infrastructure of America," said Obama. --SPA 23:52 LOCAL TIME 20:52 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w