Climate change challenges for sustainable development in Bangladesh

The focus on national concerns seems to create an artificial distance, making it difficult for some countries to recognise that all parties share the same essential concerns

The United Nations Climate Change Conferences are yearly conferences held in the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). They serve as the formal meeting of the UNFCCC Parties (Conference of the Parties, COP) to assess progress in dealing with climate change. In what many describe as the biggest international climate change negotiations since the 2015 Paris Agreement, COP24 convened this month in the city of Katowice, Poland. The recent landmark Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reporthttps://www.ipcc.ch/ on 1.5 °C global warming makes it abundantly clear that urgent and aggressive measures are required to avoid the catastrophic consequences of climate change. As worldwide collaboration is needed to address this key environmental threat, reaching agreement on the key issue of creating the rulebook for the Paris Agreement is of paramount importance. The devastating effects of the rise in global temperature have no regard for national boundaries. While some countries and regions are currently feeling those effects more than others, it is only a matter of time until every nation on the planet experiences the dramatic impacts of climate change. Because it is something that stands to affect everyone, any sort of distances (real or artificial) between the world’s nations can only impede progress in finding and implementing solutions that will benefit all.

When coupling increasingly dire warnings about the rise of global temperature with the ongoing wrangling over national and ideological matters, there is some question as to whether progress has truly been made since the first COP in 1995. After two dozen years of conferences and conversations that have failed to produce a decisive solution to address the impending environmental crisis, it is clear that fresh perspectives and ideas are needed. Enlisting a new generation to participate in the effort is a significant measure to turn new eyes on what is becoming an old and ever-more-pressing problem. One of the key takeaways from COP24 is that multilateralism is complicated. All countries have their own goals and positions, informed by ideologies and concerns about their economies and citizens. With almost 200 participating parties, it is to be expected that there would be some degree of variation in those goals and some amount of insular thinking. The focus on national concerns seems to create an artificial distance, making it difficult for some countries to recognize that all parties share the same essential concerns. The complicated process of multilateral negotiations offers a reminder that challenge and opportunity often occupy the same space. It can be difficult and frustrating to see different parties approach common concerns from fixed positions and with inflexible perspectives. That is the challenge presented by cooperative efforts on an international and multicultural scale. Yet opportunity coexists with that challenge. Bringing diverse people together for dialogue and negotiation can make differences clear, but it also reveals common grounds. A global solution demands global participation. Consideration of common grounds and the practical impact of mitigating the effects of climate change are critical factors when looking for solutions that will be successful in reaching collective aims.

Much relies upon the success of higher-level negotiations in efforts to iron out the details of the Paris Agreement Rulebook and its ancillary conditions. Those conversations often occur behind closed doors and without full involvement and transparency to the constituents vested in the end product of the negotiations. Decision-makers must be held accountable for the matters that they are entrusted to decide upon, making it even more important for the average citizen to stand up and demand that those negotiating on their behalf honor their wishes and pursue solutions that will protect their interests. Formal discussions about combating the effects of climate change are often framed in terms of big players: governments and corporations. Yet it is individuals and communities who stand to feel the most immediate impact from the effects of global warming. There are not many forums for these small players to use their voice with the hope of being heard. If a new generation of minds is needed to contribute ideas for workable solutions to the challenges presented by climate change, there are many young people up to the task.

Climate change is now one of the biggest problems across the globe as its impacts on human being and the environment are very terrible and prolonged. Almost all countries of the world are directly or indirectly affected by the adverse effects of climate change. Bangladesh is not immune to the adversities of climate change. Given its geographic location and features, Bangladesh is extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change. About 88% of the landmass consists of floodplains, sitting in a delta. The topography is flat and majority of the landmass lies within 10 meters above mean sea level. The geographic location at the convergence of the three great rivers – the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna–and near the Eastern Himalayas makes Bangladesh vulnerable to natural hazards like floods, cyclones and occasional earthquakes. Due to the rise in the average sea level, an additional 14% of the country may be extremely vulnerable to floods by 2030. Furthermore, recent evidence is indicating that rising temperature has severe consequences for economic growth, since some results point out two key issues: first, higher temperature substantially reduces economic growth in poor countries; and second, higher temperature has wide-ranging effects, reducing agricultural output, industrial output, and political stability. In addition, internal development factors also worsen the possible climate change impact. These include population density, high poverty and inequality, weak infrastructure, limited integration of disaster into planning and low human development progress.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has already noted that Bangladesh will be among the worst victims due to climate change. A rise in both sea level and frequency of cyclone-storms due to the escalating atmospheric temperature is likely to have grave food and energy security consequences, which will also facilitate different types of diseases and frequency of other natural calamities. Needless to mention, the prevailing high density of population will only make it difficult to identify effective coping strategies. Bangladesh is also experiencing environmental woos which is a manifestation of unplanned management, Sprawling urbanization, land use changes haphazard waste management, and noise, air and water pollution due to poorly regulated industrialization has meant that environmental quality has been less than satisfactory in Bangladesh.

During recent times, the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has taken substantial initiatives on the environmental front. On climate change, Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP) were formulated for adaptation and low carbon development (LCD) through the engagement of various stakeholders. With support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the National Sustainable Development Strategy (NSDS) has been prepared to meet the formidable environmental challenges that Bangladesh faces on the path to development. It identifies Environment, Natural Resource and Disaster Management as one of the Strategic Priority Areas and articulates a wide variety of actions needed for sustainable development.

However, despite these measures, the state of environmental quality is quite alarming. Unwise use of agro-ecosystems, wetlands and water resources in general and salinity intrusion in particular is posing a serious threat towards country’s agricultural productivity as well as its food security. Degraded lands, wetlands, forest areas and other common pool resources have put extra pressure on the situation of poverty, undermining the poverty reduction measures. Poorly planned development interventions as well as economic activities are making cities and towns unlivable and limiting the carrying capacities of ecosystems and hinterlands. With the current growth rate, the population could nearly double by 2050, reaching some 270 million. The adverse effects of a burgeoning population coupled with economic activity and improper management will exacerbate the impact on the environment unless appropriate measures are taken. The environmental management from a strategic perspective requires a move towards sustainable development. The UN and the global development community have enunciated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the post-2015 development agenda. The Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development, inter alia, reaffirmed the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. In light of the global commitment towards Sustainable Development, Bangladesh too is focused on ensuring sustainable production and consumption, as well as ensuring environmental sustainability.

The primary challenge for Bangladesh is to scale up investments to create a suitable environment for the economic and social development of the country and to secure the well-being of people, especially the poorest and most vulnerable groups, including women and children. The Government of Bangladesh’s Vision is to eradicate poverty and achieve economic and social prosperity for all people. This should be achieved through a pro-poor climate change management strategy, which prioritizes adaptation and disaster risk reduction, and also follow the path of low carbon development, mitigation, technology transfer and the mobilization and international provision for investments in coping mechanisms and green technology. Since Bangladesh’s contribution to the generation of greenhouse gases is quite low, policy makers acknowledges that steps should be taken to ensure that it stays that way even with growth and development. Due emphasis should be given to the promotion of renewable energy, particularly solar homes and biogas plants. In the above context, appropriate policy and institutional capacity building for sustainable land water management, biodiversity conservation, forest ecosystem restoration, climate resilient development and disaster management are crucial at all levels of government, especially with a greater emphasis at the local government level where most of the programs are to be implemented. Development plans should incorporate a Green Growth strategy to harmonize economic growth for better environmental sustainability.

The writer is an urban planner, Master of Urban and Regional Planning

Jahangirnagar University.

E-mail: [email protected]

 

 

Climate change challenges for sustainable development in Bangladesh

The focus on national concerns seems to create an artificial distance, making it difficult for some countries to recognise that all parties share the same essential concerns

The United Nations Climate Change Conferences are yearly conferences held in the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). They serve as the formal meeting of the UNFCCC Parties (Conference of the Parties, COP) to assess progress in dealing with climate change. In what many describe as the biggest international climate change negotiations since the 2015 Paris Agreement, COP24 convened this month in the city of Katowice, Poland. The recent landmark Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reporthttps://www.ipcc.ch/ on 1.5 C global warming makes it abundantly clear that urgent and aggressive measures are required to avoid the catastrophic consequences of climate change. As worldwide collaboration is needed to address this key environmental threat, reaching agreement on the key issue of creating the rulebook for the Paris Agreement is of paramount importance. The devastating effects of the rise in global temperature have no regard for national boundaries. While some countries and regions are currently feeling those effects more than others, it is only a matter of time until every nation on the planet experiences the dramatic impacts of climate change. Because it is something that stands to affect everyone, any sort of distances (real or artificial) between the worlds nations can only impede progress in finding and implementing solutions that will benefit all. When coupling increasingly dire warnings about the rise of global temperature with the ongoing wrangling over national and ideological matters, there is some question as to whether progress has truly been made since the first COP in 1995. After two dozen years of conferences and conversations that have failed to produce a decisive solution to address the impending environmental crisis, it is clear that fresh perspectives and ideas are needed. Enlisting a new generation to participate in the effort is a significant measure to turn new eyes on what is becoming an old and ever-more-pressing problem. One of the key takeaways from COP24 is that multilateralism is complicated. All countries have their own goals and positions, informed by ideologies and concerns about their economies and citizens. With almost 200 participating parties, it is to be expected that there would be some degree of variation in those goals and some amount of insular thinking. The focus on national concerns seems to create an artificial distance, making it difficult for some countries to recognize that all parties share the same essential concerns. The complicated process of multilateral negotiations offers a reminder that challenge and opportunity often occupy the same space. It can be difficult and frustrating to see different parties approach common concerns from fixed positions and with inflexible perspectives. That is the challenge presented by cooperative efforts on an international and multicultural scale. Yet opportunity coexists with that challenge. Bringing diverse people together for dialogue and negotiation can make differences clear, but it also reveals common grounds. A global solution demands global participation. Consideration of common grounds and the practical impact of mitigating the effects of climate change are critical factors when looking for solutions that will be successful in reaching collective aims. Much relies upon the success of higher-level negotiations in efforts to iron out the details of the Paris Agreement Rulebook and its ancillary conditions. Those conversations often occur behind closed doors and without full involvement and transparency to the constituents vested in the end product of the negotiations. Decision-makers must be held accountable for the matters that they are entrusted to decide upon, making it even more important for the average citizen to stand up and demand that those negotiating on their behalf honor their wishes and pursue solutions that will protect their interests. Formal discussions about combating the effects of climate change are often framed in terms of big players: governments and corporations. Yet it is individuals and communities who stand to feel the most immediate impact from the effects of global warming. There are not many forums for these small players to use their voice with the hope of being heard. If a new generation of minds is needed to contribute ideas for workable solutions to the challenges presented by climate change, there are many young people up to the task. Climate change is now one of the biggest problems across the globe as its impacts on human being and the environment are very terrible and prolonged. Almost all countries of the world are directly or indirectly affected by the adverse effects of climate change. Bangladesh is not immune to the adversities of climate change. Given its geographic location and features, Bangladesh is extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change. About 88% of the landmass consists of floodplains, sitting in a delta. The topography is flat and majority of the landmass lies within 10 meters above mean sea level. The geographic location at the convergence of the three great rivers the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghnaand near the Eastern Himalayas makes Bangladesh vulnerable to natural hazards like floods, cyclones and occasional earthquakes. Due to the rise in the average sea level, an additional 14% of the country may be extremely vulnerable to floods by 2030. Furthermore, recent evidence is indicating that rising temperature has severe consequences for economic growth, since some results point out two key issues: first, higher temperature substantially reduces economic growth in poor countries; and second, higher temperature has wide-ranging effects, reducing agricultural output, industrial output, and political stability. In addition, internal development factors also worsen the possible climate change impact. These include population density, high poverty and inequality, weak infrastructure, limited integration of disaster into planning and low human development progress. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has already noted that Bangladesh will be among the worst victims due to climate change. A rise in both sea level and frequency of cyclone-storms due to the escalating atmospheric temperature is likely to have grave food and energy security consequences, which will also facilitate different types of diseases and frequency of other natural calamities. Needless to mention, the prevailing high density of population will only make it difficult to identify effective coping strategies. Bangladesh is also experiencing environmental woos which is a manifestation of unplanned management, Sprawling urbanization, land use changes haphazard waste management, and noise, air and water pollution due to poorly regulated industrialization has meant that environmental quality has been less than satisfactory in Bangladesh. During recent times, the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has taken substantial initiatives on the environmental front. On climate change, Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP) were formulated for adaptation and low carbon development (LCD) through the engagement of various stakeholders. With support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the National Sustainable Development Strategy (NSDS) has been prepared to meet the formidable environmental challenges that Bangladesh faces on the path to development. It identifies Environment, Natural Resource and Disaster Management as one of the Strategic Priority Areas and articulates a wide variety of actions needed for sustainable development. However, despite these measures, the state of environmental quality is quite alarming. Unwise use of agro-ecosystems, wetlands and water resources in general and salinity intrusion in particular is posing a serious threat towards countrys agricultural productivity as well as its food security. Degraded lands, wetlands, forest areas and other common pool resources have put extra pressure on the situation of poverty, undermining the poverty reduction measures. Poorly planned development interventions as well as economic activities are making cities and towns unlivable and limiting the carrying capacities of ecosystems and hinterlands. With the current growth rate, the population could nearly double by 2050, reaching some 270 million. The adverse effects of a burgeoning population coupled with economic activity and improper management will exacerbate the impact on the environment unless appropriate measures are taken. The environmental management from a strategic perspective requires a move towards sustainable development. The UN and the global development community have enunciated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the post-2015 development agenda. The Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development, inter alia, reaffirmed the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. In light of the global commitment towards Sustainable Development, Bangladesh too is focused on ensuring sustainable production and consumption, as well as ensuring environmental sustainability. The primary challenge for Bangladesh is to scale up investments to create a suitable environment for the economic and social development of the country and to secure the well-being of people, especially the poorest and most vulnerable groups, including women and children. The Government of Bangladeshs Vision is to eradicate poverty and achieve economic and social prosperity for all people. This should be achieved through a pro-poor climate change management strategy, which prioritizes adaptation and disaster risk reduction, and also follow the path of low carbon development, mitigation, technology transfer and the mobilization and international provision for investments in coping mechanisms and green technology. Since Bangladeshs contribution to the generation of greenhouse gases is quite low, policy makers acknowledges that steps should be taken to ensure that it stays that way even with growth and development. Due emphasis should be given to the promotion of renewable energy, particularly solar homes and biogas plants. In the above context, appropriate policy and institutional capacity building for sustainable land water management, biodiversity conservation, forest ecosystem restoration, climate resilient development and disaster management are crucial at all levels of government, especially with a greater emphasis at the local government level where most of the programs are to be implemented. Development plans should incorporate a Green Growth strategy to harmonize economic growth for better environmental sustainability. The writer is an urban planner, Master of Urban and Regional Planning Jahangirnagar University. E-mail: [email protected]