MITIGATION OF CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS

Bangladesh getting little help from int’l community

Bangladesh is getting very little help from the international community to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change for which the country is not responsible, according to COAST (Coastal Association for Social Transformation Trust). COAST is a Bangladeshi NGO working to facilitate and participate in survival strategies of the coastal poor, especially of the women and the disadvantaged population to gain socioeconomic sustainability and a better livelihood standard.
Speaking at an event titled “Climate Change: Challenges and Opportunities in the Global Compacts” held in Geneva on Friday on the eve of the ongoing UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees) Annual Dialogue, COAST executive director Rezaul Karim Chowdhury presented a case study from Bangladesh showing how ‘it will cause loss of one third of Bangladesh, creating unbearable population density leading to huge economic and social security threats, whereas Bangladeshis are hardly responsible for climate damages’.
While responding to questions and comments from the participants he said Bangladesh government is investing bigger amounts as compared to little assistance from the international community, according to a COAST media release forwarded yesterday. Chowdhury demanded international legal regime in this regards and implications to both incoming global compacts. COAST, the UNHCR and Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) jointly organised the event in Geneva. Speakers emphasised that global solidarity and sharing responsibilities in respect to climate displacement should be reflected in two global compacts being prepared by the UN -- one on refugees and the other on migration. Both of them have been agreed by states during September 2016 in New York UN summit on large scale movement.
Atle Solberg from Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD), a state-led body currently chaired by Germany, moderated the event. Apart from Chowdhury, the other panellists were Neil Turner from NRC, Sarnata Reynolds of Oxfam USA and Marine Frank from the UNHCR.
Turner urged for durable solutions, predictability for responding to the large movements and responsibility sharing mechanism. Reynolds depicted how climate displacement creating problems for women and children who are already vulnerable in developing countries and eroding social capitals in this regard.
Franck renewed the UNHCR’s commitment toward climate displacement issues. While summing up the session, moderator Soleberg mentioned six things that are needed to be done. They are policy coherence, relevance of the issues for implications in both the compacts, breaking of climate impacts to different groups of population with different types of vulnerabilities, better preparedness with anticipation and predictability, responsibility and sharing of burden in regional and international level, and global solidarity.

MITIGATION OF CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS

Bangladesh getting little help from intl community

Bangladesh is getting very little help from the international community to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change for which the country is not responsible, according to COAST (Coastal Association for Social Transformation Trust). COAST is a Bangladeshi NGO working to facilitate and participate in survival strategies of the coastal poor, especially of the women and the disadvantaged population to gain socioeconomic sustainability and a better livelihood standard. Speaking at an event titled Climate Change: Challenges and Opportunities in the Global Compacts held in Geneva on Friday on the eve of the ongoing UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees) Annual Dialogue, COAST executive director Rezaul Karim Chowdhury presented a case study from Bangladesh showing how it will cause loss of one third of Bangladesh, creating unbearable population density leading to huge economic and social security threats, whereas Bangladeshis are hardly responsible for climate damages. While responding to questions and comments from the participants he said Bangladesh government is investing bigger amounts as compared to little assistance from the international community, according to a COAST media release forwarded yesterday. Chowdhury demanded international legal regime in this regards and implications to both incoming global compacts. COAST, the UNHCR and Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) jointly organised the event in Geneva. Speakers emphasised that global solidarity and sharing responsibilities in respect to climate displacement should be reflected in two global compacts being prepared by the UN -- one on refugees and the other on migration. Both of them have been agreed by states during September 2016 in New York UN summit on large scale movement. Atle Solberg from Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD), a state-led body currently chaired by Germany, moderated the event. Apart from Chowdhury, the other panellists were Neil Turner from NRC, Sarnata Reynolds of Oxfam USA and Marine Frank from the UNHCR. Turner urged for durable solutions, predictability for responding to the large movements and responsibility sharing mechanism. Reynolds depicted how climate displacement creating problems for women and children who are already vulnerable in developing countries and eroding social capitals in this regard. Franck renewed the UNHCRs commitment toward climate displacement issues. While summing up the session, moderator Soleberg mentioned six things that are needed to be done. They are policy coherence, relevance of the issues for implications in both the compacts, breaking of climate impacts to different groups of population with different types of vulnerabilities, better preparedness with anticipation and predictability, responsibility and sharing of burden in regional and international level, and global solidarity.