Bangladesh

Formulation of a comprehensive long–tern action plan to combat negative impact of global climate change in Bangladesh was stressed during a media workshop organised by UNDP as the country’s food security would be affected sector by this natural hazard.

“Preparing a long-tern action plan to face challenges of the global climate change is the call of the time. Bangladesh must do it now,” said eminent economist Dr Atiur Rahman, at the two-day media-workshop on “Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Climate Change” in Cox’s Bazar.

Painting a gloomy picture of adverse impact of global climate change in Bangladesh, he said, “The climate has changed clearly, causing heavy rainfall in unusual times, while flood’s frequency and intensity has also increased.”

“Such disasters triggered by the climate change are finally obstructing the efforts by the developing nations to achieve the MDGs,” said, Dr Atiur, also the chairman of Shamunnay, a local think-tank.

“So it will be difficult for a country like Bangladesh to achieve the MDGs if adequate measures are not taken to deal with climate change,” he warned.

Echoing the same tone, Dr Ainun Nishat, the IUCN country representative said, “There will be unusual increase in rainfall, drought, flood, cyclones and river and coastal erosion by next 15 years. Due to these natural calamities, production would be decreased and people’s livelihood would be at stake.”

“Thus the country’s food security will be the prior sector that must be handled with efficiency,” he added.

He also said Bangladesh or other developing nations are not responsible for the crisis but ‘we are the worst victims of the impacts of the climate.

Stressing the need to mainstream climate change issues in the national development policy, Dr Nishat said, “The developed nations must compensate the impoverished countries so that they can equip them with modern technologies and other means to tackle the crisis.”

UNDP Assistant country directors –KAM Morshed and Dr Aminul Islam also spoke on the occasion.

At the end of the workshop, journalists, both from print and electronic media, made a field visit at Himchhari to see the visible impact of the sea-level rise which forced hundreds of locals to leave their ancestral home and to take shelter at makeshift structures at the feet of the hills.