Staff Reporter :
Climate experts at a roundtable discussion on Wednesday observed that about 15 per cent people of Bangladesh would be displaced by 2050 due to the negative impact of climate change. The developed nations can’t avert their responsibility for it, they said.
Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) arranged the roundtable on “Climate Change and Displacement: The Global Debate” at its auditorium in the capital city.
Envoy of the Chairmanship of the Nansen Initiative Prof Walter Kaelin presented the keynote paper with chairman of BIISS’s Board of Governors Ambassador Munshi Faiz Ahmad in the chair.
Foreign Secretary Md. Shahidul Haque moderated the function and delivered the concluding speech, while ActionAid country director Farah Kabir, national project director of the Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) Mohammad Abdul Quyyum, additional secretary of the Environment and Forests Ministry Md. Nurul Karim, environmentalist Dr Atiq Rahman took part in the discussion, among other civil and military officials.
The roundtable discussion focused on global climate change and resultant displacement, measures already taken and what more steps were to be taken to handle the problem. The discussants submitted their suggestions on the issue. They said, Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable nations due to global climate change.
“In Bangladesh, in every seven people will be displaced due to climate extreme events by 2050,” said Abdul Quyyum. “Now there is a question whether the climate change-induced displacement is an issue of development or relief. The relief for and response to it is not enough to address the emerging problem,” he said.
Delivering his keynote presentation, Prof Kaelin said that about 160 million people were displaced globally due to climate change-induced natural disasters during 2008-2013.
Appraising Bangladesh’s capacity to face natural disasters, he said that there are strong warning system and evacuation, so people of the country have very much chance to survive during natural disaster.
Pointing out different impacts of the climate change, Shahidul Haque said that all of us should raise the issue together. Bangladesh has confidence in the UN mechanism and believes that a solution will come from the UN system to address the climate change-induced displacement issue, he added.
Dr Atiq Rahman said that the developed countries should take the liability of the climate change-induced displacement, as they are historically responsible for the global warming.
Climate experts at a roundtable discussion on Wednesday observed that about 15 per cent people of Bangladesh would be displaced by 2050 due to the negative impact of climate change. The developed nations can’t avert their responsibility for it, they said.
Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) arranged the roundtable on “Climate Change and Displacement: The Global Debate” at its auditorium in the capital city.
Envoy of the Chairmanship of the Nansen Initiative Prof Walter Kaelin presented the keynote paper with chairman of BIISS’s Board of Governors Ambassador Munshi Faiz Ahmad in the chair.
Foreign Secretary Md. Shahidul Haque moderated the function and delivered the concluding speech, while ActionAid country director Farah Kabir, national project director of the Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) Mohammad Abdul Quyyum, additional secretary of the Environment and Forests Ministry Md. Nurul Karim, environmentalist Dr Atiq Rahman took part in the discussion, among other civil and military officials.
The roundtable discussion focused on global climate change and resultant displacement, measures already taken and what more steps were to be taken to handle the problem. The discussants submitted their suggestions on the issue. They said, Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable nations due to global climate change.
“In Bangladesh, in every seven people will be displaced due to climate extreme events by 2050,” said Abdul Quyyum. “Now there is a question whether the climate change-induced displacement is an issue of development or relief. The relief for and response to it is not enough to address the emerging problem,” he said.
Delivering his keynote presentation, Prof Kaelin said that about 160 million people were displaced globally due to climate change-induced natural disasters during 2008-2013.
Appraising Bangladesh’s capacity to face natural disasters, he said that there are strong warning system and evacuation, so people of the country have very much chance to survive during natural disaster.
Pointing out different impacts of the climate change, Shahidul Haque said that all of us should raise the issue together. Bangladesh has confidence in the UN mechanism and believes that a solution will come from the UN system to address the climate change-induced displacement issue, he added.
Dr Atiq Rahman said that the developed countries should take the liability of the climate change-induced displacement, as they are historically responsible for the global warming.
